Event narrative (NOAA)
A group of hikers that was caught in a thunderstorm took shelter under a stand of Ponderosa pine trees. Initial reports from on-scene deputies indicated that lightning struck one of the pine trees where the group was standing and knocked most of them to the ground. Members of the group attempted to resuscitate a 24-year-old female, who was not breathing. However, they were unsuccessful and she died at the scene. It does not appear the lightning strike hit anyone directly. Seven others were injured, one critically.
Other notable lightning events in Arizona
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.