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A lightning strike has been ruled the preliminary cause of death for the two hunters found dead in Colorado.
Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin has given his findings to multiple media outlets. He says Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko’s “[k]ind of death is just instant.”
“It’s like you’re alive, and now you’re not,” Martin told The Colorado Sun. “Just that quick. Split second.”
Martin said the men, both 25, were found under a tree with slight burns on their bodies.
COLORADO HUNTERS FOUND DEAD AFTER GOING MISSING IN RUGGED TERRAIN
Ian Stasko, left, and Andrew Porter, right, were found dead in the Colorado wilderness after going on a hunting trip. They last contacted family on Sept. 11, 2025. (GoFundMe)
“A slight burn is like if you take a match and stick it on your arm,” he said. “And there were only two or three of them.”
The two were reported missing to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) on September 13, but last made contact with their family on September 11.
US JOURNALIST MISSING IN NORWAY AFTER BACKPACKING TRIP, FAMILY SAYS
Deputies said they located the car the men drove to trailhead, along with camping gear and backpacks. (GoFundMe)
Deputies say Porter, who was from Asheville, North Carolina, and Stasko, who is from Salt Lake City, Utah, “were reported overdue while elk hunting.” They did have a satellite device, which Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, said was “not functioning.”
The two were in the San Juan Wilderness Area west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, according to the CCSO. The vehicle they drove to the Los Pinos trail head was found.
More than 54 search and rescue teams assisted in the search for the hunters in the San Juan Wilderness Area, west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, deputies said. (GoFundMe)
“Camping gear and backpacks were located in the vehicle, prompting deputies to become concerned due to heavy rain and bad weather,” the CCSO said in a news release last week.
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“Given the change in circumstances, we will be reallocating the remaining funds — originally intended for search and rescue efforts — to help cover memorial services for Andrew and Ian, as well as to support their families during this difficult time,” Runkle wrote on Monday on the GoFundMe she organized.
As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe page has raised nearly $79,000.
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