50 members of Utah church youth group checked after lightning strike in Sevier County

Logan Stefanich and Pat Ready, KSL.com

SALINA, Utah (KSL.com) — About 50 members of a religion younker group from Salina who were hiking connected Thursday felt nan effects of a adjacent lightning strike, pinch 7 taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said nan group “was hiking southbound of nan Fremont Junction adjacent nan Willow Springs Overlook successful nan eastbound portion of Sevier County erstwhile it began to rain” astir 1:45 p.m.

“A ray rainstorm successful nan area produced h2o puddling connected nan ground. While hiking, lightning struck nan crushed adjacent to nan youth. Approximately 50 youths felt nan daze of nan lightning. Seven (of them) had immoderate aesculapian concerns owed to nan electrocution. The 7 were transported to Salina by ambulances from Emery and Sevier counties wherever (they) were triaged for their symptoms,” Curtis said successful a prepared statement.

Two members of nan group who were “experiencing immoderate superior symptoms” were flown by aesculapian chopper to Primary Children’s Hospital successful Lehi for further treatment. The others from a Salina liking of The Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints were taken to Gunnison Valley Hospital and Sevier Valley Hospital.

“At this clip nary of nan injuries are expected to beryllium life-threatening,” nan sheriff stated.

Curtis told KSL.com that 1 of nan symptoms nan teens knowledgeable included numbness. He said each nan patients were talking and breathing and nary 1 was burned by nan lightning, which did not straight onslaught anyone. The hiking group totaled astir 100 teens betwixt nan ages of 14 and 17, some boys and girls, successful summation to big leaders. Curtis says nan 2 teens flown to Lehi were reported to beryllium “doing beautiful good” arsenic of Thursday evening.

Arches mudslide

Meanwhile, dense rainfall and mudslides are besides erstwhile again affecting nan area astir Moab and Arches National Park.

The entranceway of Arches was concisely closed owed to a brace of mudslides connected U.S. 191.

“U.S. 191 astatine Arches roadworthy is wholly closed successful some guidance arsenic crews activity to clear a mudslide,” Moab metropolis officials posted connected societal media. The descent happened astir 4 p.m. At 5:27 p.m. nan metropolis posted that “U.S. 191 astatine Arches National Park roadworthy remains closed while crews clear nan mudslide connected nan road. A 2nd mudslide has besides occurred northbound of this area.” And by 5:46 p.m., nan metropolis posted that “U.S. 191 northbound and southbound lanes are now reopened. It will return immoderate clip for nan backed-up postulation to move through, but vehicles are moving now.”

By 6:20 p.m., U.S. 191 and each metropolis streets were unfastened pinch nan objection of Kane Creek Boulevard.