A Utah hiker was killed last week when authorities say a lightning strike hit him near the summit of Salt Lake County’s highest peak, just a short distance from the top.
Craig Nelson, 59, had started the Saturday morning hike with his brother toward the east peak of American Fork Twin Peaks after the two took the Snowbird tram part of the way up the mountain. Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said at a Monday news conference that the brothers were familiar with the route and had hiked it together several times before.
Rivera said the pair stopped for lunch around 10:30 a.m. and began to notice a shift in the weather. Nelson’s surviving brother later told investigators they kept an eye on the sky but, after seeing no lightning, chose to continue their climb.
Craig Nelson, 59, died after authorities say they believe he was struck by lightning near the summit of the east peak of American Fork Twin Peaks in Salt Lake County, Utah, on Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Facebook/Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue)
“As we know in Utah, the weather changes very frequently,” Rivera said, noting that conditions in the mountains can be “very unpredictable.”
Roughly an hour later, Rivera said, Nelson’s brother reached the east peak first and turned back as the weather deteriorated. Nelson continued toward the summit. Moments later, his brother told investigators, he saw Nelson collapse about 20 feet away and believed he had been hit by lightning.
Rescuers responded to a report of a person struck by lightning near the summit of the east peak of American Fork Twin Peaks in Salt Lake County, Utah, on Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Facebook/Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue)
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Nelson’s brother then hurried back toward the Snowbird tram until he was able to regain cellphone service, calling 911 shortly after noon.
A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter quickly located Nelson near the summit, but rescuers had to wait for the storm to move through before they could safely reach him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Snowbird Ski Patrol later helped escort Nelson’s brother off the mountain, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team.
A trail leading to the barren rocky slopes of the glacial bowl beneath American Fork Twin Peaks. (iStock)
American Fork Twin Peaks rises to 11,461 feet and is the highest point in Salt Lake County. Rivera emphasized that mountain weather can change with little warning and urged hikers to check the forecast before heading out. She said hikers should leave exposed ridgelines and summits as soon as storms begin moving in.
The sheriff’s office also urged hikers to move to lower ground, stay away from isolated trees and bodies of water, and, if they cannot reach shelter, crouch low with their feet together until the storm passes.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains open while the Utah medical examiner determines Nelson’s official cause of death.
