Colorado rancher is killed along with 34 of his cattle in freak lightning strike
- Rancher Mike Morgan, 51, was struck by lightning while feeding his cows
- His wife, who was 60 yards away at the time of the attack, was thrown from her horse
- Morgan is survived by his wife and 17-year-old daughter
A 51-year-old Colorado rancher was tragically killed Saturday in a lightning strike that also killed 34 of his cows and three calves.
Mike Morgan was feeding his cattle from a trailer when he was hit. He died at the scene after emergency responders tried to revive him, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said.
Morgan’s wife, Niki, was about 200 feet away from Morgan when the lightning bolt struck and was strong enough to knock her off her horse, according to a Facebook post by His Cavvy Foundationa non-profit organization that helps farmers with serious medical problems.
Morgan’s father-in-law was also reportedly close to the explosion but survived.
The strike knocked down about 100 cattle that had gathered around the trailer from which Morgan was feeding them, coroner George Crocket said.
Mike Morgan was killed in a freak lightning strike last weekend, Jackson County officials announced Monday
Morgan, 51, was a farmer in the town of Walden, Colorado, a close-knit community outside Denver
Morgan’s family was recently able to afford 300 cattle of their own, and it was their dream to own their own animals
âAll but the 34 stood up,â Crocket added.
The lightning bolt struck a pasture outside the city of Rand, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Denver. NBC reported.
Morgan is survived by his wife Niki and his 17-year-old daughter Dallas, both of whom are also involved in the livestock industry.
The His Cavvy Foundation described Morgan and his family as âan upright pillarâ in the town of Walden, Colorado.
The foundation’s post explained that Morgan had always worked on a local ranch, which recently gave the family the opportunity to purchase 300 pairs. Couples refer to a cow and her calf.
âMike’s wife, Niki, has been busy calving these flocks all winter while Mike had a job at Silver Spur Ranches,â the post said. âThey do what we all do, whatever it takes to make a living, and they do it by doing what we’re all passionate about. Cattle breeding…’
The His Cavvy Foundation wrote that Morgan’s family has donated time, resources and finances to various charities over the years.
âMike was a loving father and a tender, purposeful husband,â the post said. “We will all miss that big old smile he always wore.”