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By Hollie Silverman
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Boulder County authorities in Colorado say the woman who was struck by lightning while running on a path in Superior on Thursday has now been identified. Her family is with her at a Denver‑area hospital where she remains in critical condition.
The woman was identified after two days of investigation, authorities said, noting that officials sought the help of the public, sharing images of her tattoos and sneakers.
The Context
The case highlights the life-threatening danger of spring thunderstorms in Colorado, and the challenge authorities face when victims cannot immediately be identified, which can delay notification of family and medical history that could aid treatment.
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The Centennial State consistently ranked among the states with higher lightning fatality totals over decades of data, with fewer than four deaths a year on average, according to lightning safety advocates cited by Colorado Public Radio.
What To Know
Deputies responded at approximately 5:39 p.m. on April 9 to reports that a woman had been struck by lightning along a path behind Lasalle Street in Superior where bystanders had begun CPR before first responders arrived, according to a press release from Boulder County. The woman was found beneath a tree that had been hit.
First responders initially found the woman had no detectable pulse and was not breathing, but after continued resuscitation she regained a faint pulse and then began breathing independently before being transported for advanced care, officials said.
She was taken first to a Boulder County hospital and then airlifted to a Denver metro–area hospital where she remains in critical condition as of Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.
A National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist said there were roughly 60 lightning strikes in Boulder County within a span of several minutes around the time of the incident, with about 30 to 33 striking the ground, Colorado Public Radio reported.
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How Did Authorities Identify Her?
Just hours after the Boulder County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) posted a video to X appealing to the public to check their surveillance systems, the agency said she had been identified Saturday morning.
While the BCSO did not release the woman's name, they said her family is by her side in the hospital as she remains in critical condition.
Efforts to identify the woman lasted two days as she carried no identification, and her cellphone was severely damaged and inoperable following the lightning strike.
Fingerprinting and checks of Boulder County missing-persons reports had not produced a match, BCSO Public Information Officer Vinnie Montez said in a video on X Friday.
What People Are Saying
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said in an updated post on X Saturday: "The woman struck by lightning in Superior on April 9, 2026, has been identified. Her family is now by her side, and she remains in critical condition. Out of respect for her privacy, no additional information will be released at this time. We appreciate the community’s assistance and support during this incident.
Kenley Bonner, meteorologist at the NWS, told Colorado Public Radio: “This is the time of year we start to see this, it’s shoulder season and we’re approaching the severe weather season.”
Update, 4/11/26 12:17 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with more information. This article's headline has also been changed.
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