Sedona AZ (June 28, 2015) – A lighting strike in the Mogollon Rim caused the death of a young female and injured several others when they sought shelter underneath a Ponderosa pine tree during a thunderstorm.

The Northern Arizona Regional 911 Center in Flagstaff (AZ) received an emergency call around 4:20 p.m. Saturday, June 27, 2015, for several people injured by a lighting strike.

Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies as well as United States Forest Service law enforcement officers, Blue Ridge Fire Department, Pine-Strawberry Fire Department, and the Forest Lakes Fire Department responded to the location off of Forest Service Road 321, just north of the Rim Road in the Blue Ridge area. This area is approximately halfway between State Route 87 and Forest Lakes (AZ). Prior to emergency personnel’s arrival, dispatchers received the report of a female in the group who was not breathing, and of several others who had unknown injuries.

It took responders a considerable amount of time to reach the victims due to the remote location of the incident. Medics and law enforcement officers found a 24-year-old female deceased, and seven other victims with varying degrees of injuries.

It is believed the hiking group left the Phoenix area on Friday evening, traveling to the Mogollon Rim for a weekend of camping and hiking. On Saturday the group went hiking, but they were caught by a severe thunder and lightning storm which caused them to seek shelter beneath a stand of Ponderosa pine trees.

Initial reports indicated lighting struck one of the pine trees where the group was standing, knocking most of them to the ground. Members of the group attempted to resuscitate Christine Garcia, 24, of Orlando, Florida, however they were unsuccessful and she died at the scene.

It does not appear the lightning strike hit anyone directly.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Ranger helicopter based out of Flagstaff responded to the scene. DPS Air Rescue was able to fly a critically injured male to the Flagstaff Medical Level One Trauma Center, where he is being treated for unknown injuries. Three less critical patients, two males and one female were transported by ground ambulance to Payson Regional Hospital with unknown injuries. Medical helicopters assigned closer to the area were unable to respond because of the storm cell over the area.

An investigation is being continued by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Forest Service.

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