Dog Dies Struck By Lightning, But Saves Its Owner

Jonathan Hardman is a young American passionate about photography and mountaineering, who was always in the company of his beloved and faithful dog Rambo. Unfortunately, in one of these adventures, tragedy struck and the dog was killed by lightning, but saved the life of its owner, Hardman.

The fact took place in June 2015, when Jonathan Hardman and a group of friends, Mary Prescott, Will Chandler and Matt Dayer, and two pets, including Hardman’s German Shepherd (Rambo), decided go on an excursion to the summit of Mount Bierstadt in Dever, Colorado.

As reported by Hardman, shortly after reaching the dome, at 14,000 feet high, the sky darkened and everyone heard a loud bang accompanied by a glow. The hikers were thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion and, within seconds, they could see the many wounds on their bodies and faces.

The glow had been produced by a lightning bolt that fell right where Hardman, his friends and their pet were, and it was precisely the dog’s owner who received the initial impact.

However, the worst was to come, as the moment of confusion had passed and after the dust produced by the lightning’s impact had dissipated, Hardman began looking for Rambo and found the body of his beloved pet, lifeless, lying on the ground.

A change in climate

When Hardman was asked why they had taken the climb regardless of the weather, he replied that it was actually good weather when they started the climb.

According to him, the atmosphere that Sunday morning was wonderful. In fact, they didn’t even have to wear a coat until they were very close to the top. Therefore, nothing in the weather conditions indicated to them that they were in any danger.

However, a storm was approaching, and it caused the weather to change rapidly. Unfortunately, the incident presented itself when the group of friends was already preparing to descend from the mountain.

Result and medical part

Although none of the climbers and not even the other dog that accompanied the group had suffered fatal injuries, they did have considerable serious injuries.

Hardman had bruises on his face as well as an open wound on his head. Along his neck and arm, feather-shaped marks could be seen, which indicated the path that the lightning followed inside his body.

Mary Prescott received a 40-stitch suture in a wound she sustained from banging her head against rocks and Will Chandler sustained considerable injuries to his left eye.

Author: Ana Fontes

Despite the wounds, Hardman refused to abandon the corpse of his canine friend, and tried to transport it, while acknowledging how difficult such a task would be. Even one of the climbers, who was less injured, helped Hardman down, propping him up on his shoulder.

However, with the wounds, the difficult descent and Rambo’s weight (an average of 30 kilos) made this work impossible. So, with much regret, Hardman had to leave his dog’s body behind and move on so he could get the medical attention he needed at that moment.

In evaluating Hardman’s wounds, the doctors concluded that he had received the initial impact of the lightning, his friends’ wounds were only minor damage, but that because Hardman was protecting Rambo at the time of impact, it was the dog who received the worst part of the load.

Currently, Hardman regrets his friend’s departure, but is grateful for him, as he recognizes that if the dog hadn’t shared the electrical charge with him, he would likely be dead.