Storm turns deadly in Utah, state's 1st lightning fatality since 2016

Tragedy struck on Sunday when 24-year-old Skyler Granath was hit by lightning, the first lightning-related fatality of August and the ninth so far in 2024.

Granath was fishing in Bear River, Utah, about 60 miles north of Salt Lake City, when a lightning bolt from a nearby thunderstorm struck with deadly consequences. It was the first lightning-related fatality in Utah since 2016.

According to the National Lightning Safety Council (NLSC), fishing is the most dangerous activity when thunder roars and is nearly four times deadlier than golf.

"June, July and August are the peak months for lightning activity across the United States and the peak months for outdoor summer activities. As a result, more than 70% of the lightning deaths occurred in the months of June, July and August, with Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays having slightly more deaths than other days of the week," the NLSC explained.

Lightning kills about 20 people across the U.S. every year, but so far in 2024, the number of lightning deaths has been less than half of that figure. As of Tuesday, Aug. 20, the NLSC has reported nine fatalities, lower than the 14 reported in 2023. Since 2006, 2021 was the least-deadliest year for lightning strikes with 11.