TRAGIC BLAST

California Hiker Killed by Lightning Strike

Nicholas Torchia was hiking along Fresno’s John Muir Trail when a lightning bolt hit the tree he was leaning against.

A Fresno, California, man was killed by a lightning strike Friday as he hiked a local trail. Nicholas Torchia, 37, was on the John Muir Trail during a storm when a lightning bolt struck a tree he was leaning against, authorities said. When other hikers checked on him, he claimed to feel ill before eventually fainting. Despite CPR attempts, Torchia was pronounced dead. His body was later retrieved by a helicopter during a break in the storm. A fellow hiker told The Fresno Bee the storm was very sudden, with officials believing Torchia was likely hit by one of the earliest bolts.

“It’s just a tragedy,” Lt. Kathy Curtice, the head of Fresno County Sheriff’s Office’s search and rescue team, said. “It was someone who was up recreating in the wilderness. It’s a very unfortunate accident.”