A single lightning strike in Colorado killed a rancher and more than 30 head of cattle on Saturday, according to multiple reports.
Mike Morgan, 51, was hit by a lightning bolt while feeding his herd from a trailer outside the town of Rand, about 80 miles northwest of Denver, The Associated Press reported, citing the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the county coroner.
About 100 cattle were knocked off their feet by the blast, which killed 34 of them.
“As best I can tell, it hit him on the trailer,” local coroner George Crocket told The Colorado Sun. “The cattle were bunched up around the trailer and it hit them all.”
Morgan’s father-in-law and wife were close by on the farm at the time but survived the strike, Crocket said. Emergency services attempted to save Morgan, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Crocket said that a single lightning bolt killing multiple animals was unusual. “I’ve seen horses get killed, but it’s usually one at a time,” he told the Sun.
HuffPost has contacted the sheriff’s office for comment.
