A dramatic lightning strike at a national park left two visitors injured.
The women were airlifted to a Utah hospital on Monday for injuries sustained during their visit to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, according to the National Park Service.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is located on the Utah-Arizona state border.
Both women — ages 22 and 23 — were struck by lightning just before 4 p.m. while standing at a popular viewpoint known as Horseshoe Bend, along the Colorado River.
Officials said the women — one from the Netherlands and the other from Australia — were treated at St. George Regional Hospital.
The lightning storm occurred during a time when the area receives heavy rain, referred to as monsoon season.
Park officials urged visitors to exercise caution when exploring outdoor areas, particularly from mid-June to September in Arizona and from July to September in Utah.
Thunderstorms, which are frequent and often severe during this period, pose a significant risk, officials said in a news release.
“Visitors are advised to seek shelter in a vehicle or building immediately upon hearing thunder to avoid lightning strikes,” officials cautioned.
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