Two young hunters from different states traveled to Colorado for what should have been the adventure of a lifetime.
Instead, Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko found themselves in the wrong place at the worst possible moment.
And the coroner’s report revealed these two young men died so instantly they never felt a thing.
Lightning strike killed both hunters in a split second
Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin delivered his preliminary findings to multiple news outlets about the deaths of Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Porter and Stasko were out elk hunting in the San Juan Wilderness Area on September 12 when the storm hit.
Martin described the deaths as instantaneous to The Colorado Sun.
"It’s like you’re alive, and now you’re not," he explained. "Just that quick. Split second."¹
Lightning killed both men before they even knew what hit them.
The coroner said the hunters were discovered beneath a tree with only minor evidence of what had killed them.
Martin compared the burns to what someone might get from briefly touching a match to their skin, and said there were only a few such marks on each body.²
The coroner’s straightforward description underscores just how powerful and devastating lightning strikes can be, even when they leave barely any physical trace.
For families waiting desperately for news, learning that their loved ones died without suffering offers the only comfort possible in an impossible situation.
Massive search operation couldn’t prevent the inevitable tragedy
Porter and Stasko were reported missing to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office on September 13, but they had last made contact with their families on September 11.
When deputies investigated, they discovered the hunters’ vehicle at the Los Pinos trailhead, with camping equipment and backpacks still inside.
The sheriff’s office noted in a news release that finding the gear in the vehicle raised concerns given the severe weather that had moved through the area.³
The discovery launched a massive search and rescue operation involving more than 54 different teams scouring the rugged San Juan Wilderness Area.
Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, had provided updates during the search and revealed that the hunters did have emergency communication equipment with them.
But that potentially life-saving technology wasn’t working when they needed it most.⁴
The irony is heartbreaking – two young men had taken reasonable precautions for backcountry hunting, but Mother Nature doesn’t care about your emergency equipment when she decides to strike.
The men were found on September 18, ending a six-day search that involved multiple agencies and hundreds of volunteers.
Hunting community rallies around families devastated by freak accident
The hunting and outdoor community has responded with an outpouring of support for both families dealing with this sudden, senseless loss.
Lynne Runkle, Porter’s aunt, had initially organized a GoFundMe to support search and rescue operations, and redirected the fundraising efforts once the terrible news was confirmed.
She announced the change in a Monday update, explaining that the remaining funds would help cover memorial services for both men and provide support to their families during this difficult time.⁵
By Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe page had raised nearly $79,000 from people who understood that when tragedy strikes in the outdoors, it could happen to any of us.
Look, here’s what hunters do when tragedy strikes – they take care of their own.
Those donations mean something bigger to the families back in North Carolina and Utah.
The money helps, sure. But what it really shows is that hunters get it – Porter and Stasko weren’t out there being stupid or reckless.
Lightning kills about 20 Americans every year, so it’s not something you worry about when you’re packing for a hunting trip.
Two friends sharing this kind of adventure makes it hit even harder.
These weren’t inexperienced hikers who ignored warnings or failed to prepare properly.
Porter and Stasko were doing everything right – they had proper equipment, they’d told family members their plans, and they even had emergency communications devices.
Sometimes the wilderness reminds us that no amount of preparation can protect against every possible danger.
The Colorado tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that Mother Nature doesn’t care about your experience level, your equipment, or your precautions when she decides to unleash her power.
For two families, the knowledge that their sons died instantly without pain provides the only small comfort possible in the face of such a senseless loss.
Murphy, Porter’s fiancée, addressed the lightning strike in a Facebook post, confirming that the men were caught in storms while trying to return to their vehicle.
She emphasized that Porter was an experienced outdoorsman who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and found some comfort in knowing they died doing what they loved.⁶
The tragedy reminds every outdoors enthusiast that even the most prepared among us remain vulnerable to nature’s most unpredictable forces.
¹ Richard Martin, coroner interview, The Colorado Sun, September 23, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Conejos County Sheriff’s Office, news release, September 2025.
⁴ Bridget Murphy, Facebook post, September 23, 2025.
⁵ Lynne Runkle, GoFundMe page update, GoFundMe, September 23, 2025.
⁶ Bridget Murphy, Facebook post, September 2025.
