A tragic incident has claimed the life of an electrician from Minnesota who was struck by lightning while scaling a peak in Peru.
Yuri Botelho, aged 36, had journeyed to the Machu Picchu area with his wife, Kelsey, and their 15-month-old son, Tyson, to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.
Last Wednesday, Botelho embarked on an adventurous climb to a mountain summit with his American friend, James Alexander Fernández, 41, and a local guide.
Just as they prepared for a descent by bicycle, an unexpected electrical storm emerged, and Botelho was hit by lightning, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Authorities located his body in the straw later that afternoon after receiving an urgent alert.
Fernández was discovered nearby, suffering from injuries by the roadside, and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Fortunately, the tour guide escaped without serious harm.
Bothelo, a native of Brazil who became an American citizen in May, will be cremated in Lima. His remains will then be sent to Minneapolis, where he lived with his family.
Kelsey is fighting logistics to return safely home with her son and her husband’s remains. A GoFundMe has been established to help with the family’s unexpected travel and medical expenses.
Yuri Botelho, 36, (pictured) died last week after being struck by lightning while climbing a mountaintop in Peru
Bothelo (right, pictured last year) had travelled to the Machu Picchu region with his wife Kelsey (left) and their 15-month-old son Tyson (center) for the Thanksgiving holidays
Bothelo, his American friend James Alexander Fernández, 41, and a local tour guide had climbed to the summit of Machu Picchu (file photo). The trio planned to descend down the mountain on bicycles when an electrical storm broke out and Bothelo was struck by lightning
Botelho’s brother-in-law said the engineer was hiking with Fernández and the guide the night before Thanksgiving when it became clear that something was wrong.
‘Kelsey was tracking his watch, saw it wasn’t moving,’ Brett Skoog told WCCO.
As of Friday, Kelsey had managed to get Bothelo’s body to Cusco, a Peruvian city about 50 miles from Machu Picchu.
‘She’s fighting as a spouse trying to get Yuri home and fighting for her son, making sure he has everything he needs. Man, we were lucky to have him,’ relative Mandy Skoog added.
She has also been supporting Fernández’s wife during this difficult time, according to an update on the GoFundMe campaign.
Kelsey’s brother and a close friend have flown to Peru to help her as she navigates ‘challenge after challenge, whether it be transportation, documentation, or subpar medical support,’ the post said.
Video from Peru shows first responders racing to rescue Bothelo and Fernández after the pair were struck in an electrical storm. Bothelo died and Fernández has critically injured in the incident
Bothelo, a native of Brazil who became an American citizen in May, will be cremated in Lima. His remains will then be sent to Minneapolis, where he lived with his family. He is pictured after celebrating his American citizenship on May 2, 2025
Bothelo and Kelsey have been married for three years and welcomed their first child together in August last year.
He had worked as an engineer with the city of Manhattan Beach, California, about 20 miles from Los Angeles, from 2022 until July this year, his LinkedIn profile stated.
The couple relocated to Minnesota this year to be near Kelsey’s family.
He started working at the city of St. Louis Park, six miles outside of Minneapolis, as an engineering technician in July.
Bothelo handled pavement rehabilitation projects and was responsible for construction observation, inspection, management, surveying and design, according to his LinkedIn.
His employer issued a statement to WCCO after his death last week.
‘This is a tremendous loss for his family, his friends and for all of us as his colleagues. Yuri had only been with the city for a short time but was already a trusted and valued employee and friend. Our thoughts are with his family and friends,’ the city said.
Bothelo and Kelsey (pictured on their wedding day) have been married for three years and welcomed their first child together in August last year
The couple relocated from California to Minnesota this year to be near Kelsey’s family. Bothelo (pictured at Yosemite National Park in 2021) started working at the city of St Louis Park, six miles outside of Minneapolis, as an engineering technician in July
Bothelo and Kelsey are understood to have taken an annual trip every Thanksgiving.
He had also celebrated becoming an American citizen on Instagram in May this year.
‘Officially American Citizen… after a lot of effort, hard work, paperwork, sweat, blood, tears, taxes, fees, doubts and anxiety we made it,’ Bothelo posted on Instagram as he waved an American flag.
Bothelo was the son of Francisco Botelho, a former councilman in the city of Sáo Mateus, Brazil. His father confirmed to AP that Bothelo’s cremation will occur in Lima.
