Lightning Strikes Two Women Climbing Snowdon Peak
Two women in a group of five were struck by lightning near the 3,560ft (1,085m) summit of Snowdon just after 1.30pm BST. The Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team was swiftly called out by North Wales Police to save them.
One Woman Falls In And Out Of Consciousness
Rescuers reported one woman was “falling in and out of consciousness,” while her companion suffered only minor injuries. Both were carefully moved from the summit to a safer lower slope. A coastguard helicopter then airlifted them to hospital in Bangor, Gwynedd. Thankfully, neither had life-threatening injuries.
Shaken Group Warned: Don’t Risk Lightning On The Mountain
The rest of the group, visiting from outside North Wales, were “clearly shocked but otherwise uninjured,” said rescue co-ordinator Phil Benbow. “They were very lucky,” he added. Rescuers emphasised the weather danger, warning hikers to avoid mountain tops and exposed ridges during thunderstorms. “As a team we didn’t hang around on the summit or the ridge going down,” Benbow said.
Busy Rescue Service Urges Caution
The Llanberis team has been “very busy” since Covid restrictions eased in June, with 40 callouts in July alone. They expect the pace to continue through August and September. Benbow stressed: “Our advice is when thunderstorms are forecast, people should avoid mountain tops, exposed ridges, and open flat areas because that is where lightning is most likely to strike.”
Before setting off, always check the latest mountain weather forecast from the Met Office. Your life might depend on it.
