Elk hunters found dead in Colorado died by lightning strike, coroner says

Two men found dead in a national forest in southern Colorado after a dayslong search appear to have died as a result of a lightning strike, a local coroner confirmed Monday.

Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, were found dead in Rio Grande National Forest on Thursday.

Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin said in an interview Monday he determined the cause of Porter and Stasko's deaths to be high-voltage electrical shock caused by a lightning.

The bodies of the two men, who were on an elk hunting trip, showed a handful of "light burns" in "random spots," Martin said, describing the burns as a little less severe than a cigarette burn on skin.

Martin said he does not believe the two experienced a "direct hit," which he said likely would have resulted in more severe damage to their bod