7 teenagers hospitalized after being shocked by lightning in central Utah

SALINA, Sevier County — Dozens of teenagers shocked by lightning are recovering in Sevier County while others with more serious injuries were airlifted to hospitals in northern Utah.

KSL TV spoke with four teens who are still processing the incident. Their symptoms include headaches and ringing in the ears, but their thoughts are with their friends who were airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in a serious condition.

The teens shared their experiences with KSL TV with permission from their parents.

Peyton Bailey, 14, was among dozens of people hiking to a church when they saw a flash of lightning and felt a jolt shock them.

“When the lightning struck, I think it was so powerful that it was like a whole weight was put on our heads, it was like something was hitting us. But we were wearing hats and we think the metal on our hats attracted it,” said Peyton, who captured the incident while filming a video for her mother.

“I saw the light and it felt like a baseball or something hit my head,” said Hudsyn Higgs, 14, who was walking next to Peyton in the video.

“A lot of them said it wasn’t at all what they expected when they got hit by lightning, but more like a weight or a jolt hit them,” said Alyssa Rosquist, 17, who was further ahead in the group than Hudsyn and Peyton.

Hudsyn and Peyton said the shock was so powerful that several teens were knocked to the ground and some appeared unconscious.

“He was about 5 feet in front of us… I just remember seeing the flash and I fell and I was on the ground and I remember getting back up and I just saw him on the ground grabbing,” Peyton said. “It was so heartbreaking and it was such a weird feeling that I can’t even describe it.”

According to a news release from the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, about 50 youth in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints group felt the lightning, although it appears no one was hit. directly.

Alyssa described a similar experience with another boy who she described as being on the ground “convulsing.” Alyssa said several teenagers around the boy also “collapsed” but got back up.

“I saw the boy and he kind of seized up. He was breathing and we were lucky that happened, but he was definitely seizing, but all the men around huddled around him and grabbed him,” Alyssa said.

According to Alyssa, several parents and church leaders rushed to help the teens on the ground and, moments later, loaded them into vehicles.

“My parents also worked in another company and a boy fell to the ground and his face was covered in dirt, but my mother removed all the dirt from his face and he escaped. A lot of them were just shaken up and it was really cold, it was raining a lot, so that was another issue as well,” Alyssa said.

The teens’ parents said the incident happened near Salina Canyon.

The teens described the terrain as a flat dirt road in an open area of ​​a ranch and said they were about 1.7 miles into the 6- to 7-mile hike when they felt the shock of the lightning.

According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened around 1:45 p.m. south of Fremont Junction near the Willow Springs overlook in eastern Sevier County.

“A light rainstorm in the area produced puddles of water on the ground. While hiking, lightning struck the ground next to the juvenile,” according to the sheriff’s office news release.

In an email to KSL, Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said no one was directly hit by lightning and no injuries from burns were reported.

In total, about 50 youths were struck by lightning. Seven of the teens had “medical issues due to the electrocution” and were taken by ambulance to Salina where “they were triaged for symptoms,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Two of the youths experienced serious symptoms and were flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, according to the news release. In the email to KSL, Curtis said their injuries included “numbness” and “partial paralysis of the extremities” but did not appear to be life-threatening.

“The remaining teens were taken to Gunnison Hospital and Sevier Valley Hospital to be examined and cleared by medical personnel,” the press release continued.

Deputies also said all remaining participants were found and returned to their parents.

“I just think I feel really shaken by everything,” said Khloe Rosquist, 13, who said she felt the initial shock but no lingering symptoms.

“We know in scary times we always try to make sure kids are okay, but we really saw the hand of God,” Alyssa said.

Alyssa and Peyton also said they are grateful for the quick actions of first responders, parents and church leaders to get everyone to safety.