Seven members of church youth group injured in lightning strike

SALINA — Lightning struck near a youth group of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, injuring seven of the attendees. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, according to the Sevier County Sheriff.

In a statement, the sheriff said the teens, from the church’s Salina Stake, were hiking south of Fremont Junction in the eastern part of Sevier County. When it began to rain, puddles of water formed on the ground and lightning struck “near the teens.”

The sheriff said that about 50 people felt the lightning strike and seven of them had health problems due to the electricity from the lightning strike. Those seven were taken by ambulance where they were picked up by rescue helicopters.

Two of the seven had symptoms so severe that they had to be flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi.

“One victim was unable to move his upper extremities and arms and the other experienced numbness on one side of his body and was getting progressively worse,” the sheriff’s office said in an updated Facebook post.

The rest were taken to local hospitals. All of the juveniles were accounted for and transported to Salina, where they were met by their parents. No other medical problems were reported.

Severe weather occurred across much of Utah, resulting in flash flood warnings, high winds, heavy rains, and severe thunderstorm advisories.