Tuesday, May 28, 2024 -A rancher feeding his cattle was struck to death by lightning along with 34 of his cows in Colorado.
Mike Morgan, 51, was giving his animals food
from a trailer when the bolt hit him around 2pm on Saturday, May 25, said the
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Bystanders and first responders performed
life-saving measures on Morgan but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Our deepest condolences go out to family
and friends during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office stated
The lightning hit an area of open pasture
near the town of Rand as well as more than 100 head of cattle that were
gathered around the trailer filled with hay, said the county coroner, George
Crocket.
Out of the 100 cows hit by lightning, 34
died and the rest survived.
“All but the 34 got up,” Crocket said of
the cattle.
Morgan’s wife and father-in-law were close
by at the time the bolt struck and survived, he added.
Rand is located about 80 miles northwest of
Denver.
The death shocked the tight-knit community
where neighbours all knew each other, Crockett said.
Morgan is survived by his wife Niki and his
17-year-old daughter, Dallas, both of whom are involved in the ranching
occupation as well.
The His Cavvy Foundation described
Morgan and his family as “an upstanding pillar” in the town of Walden,
Colorado.
The foundation's post explained that Morgan
had always been working on a local ranch, which recently afforded the family
the opportunity to purchase 300 pairs. Pairs refer to a cow and her calf.
“Mike’s wife, Niki, has spent all winter
calving these pairs out while Mike held down a job at Silver Spur Ranches,” the
post said.
“They do what we all do, whatever it takes
to make a living, and they do it by doing what we are all passionate about.
Ranching…”
The His Cavvy Foundation wrote that
Morgan's family has donated time, resources and finances to its various causes
throughout the years.
“Mike was a loving father and a tender,
intentional husband,” the post said. “We will all miss that big ole smile he
always carried.”
Colorado has one of the highest rates among
US states of lightning fatalities and injuries recently, according to the
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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