Several teens hospitalized after being shocked by lightning strike in central Utah

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

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

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

Peyton Bailey, 14, was one of dozens participating in a church trek when they saw a flash and felt a jolt shock them.

“When the lightning struck, I think it was so powerful that it felt like a whole weight was put on our head, it felt like something hit 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 mom.

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

“A lot of them have said it’s not what they expected at all lightning to feel like, but it was more just like a weight hit them 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 to be 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 floor seizing,” Peyton said. “It was so heartbreaking and it was such a weird feeling, I can’t even describe it.”

According to a press release from the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, some 50 youths in the group from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints felt the lightning shock, though it appears no one was struck directly.

Alyssa described a similar experience with another boy who she described as on the floor “seizing.” Alyssa said several teens around the boy had also “collapsed” but got back up.

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

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

“My mom and dad were also with a different company and they had a boy just completely fall down and his face was in dirt but my mom got all the dirt out of his face and he was OK. A lot of them were just shaken up and it became very cold, it’s raining a ton, so that was also another issue,” Alyssa said.

Parents of teens said the incident happened near Salina Canyon.

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

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 the eastern part of Sevier County.

“A light rainstorm in the area produced water puddling on the ground. While hiking, lightning struck the ground next to the youth,” according to the press release from the Sheriff’s Office.

In an email to KSL, Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said no one was struck directly by the lightning and there were no reported injuries of burn marks.

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

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

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

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

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

“We know it’s still in the scary moments where the kids we’re still making sure they’re OK, but we really saw God’s hand,” Alyssa said.

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