Massachusetts

Boston Man Killed By Lightning Strike in Wyoming

A second student was also injured in the strike

J.S. Waterman Langone Chapel

A young man from Boston killed by a lightning strike in Wyoming last week has been identified by his family.

John "Jack" Murphy, 22, had been in the Absaroka Mountains in the northwestern part of the state with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) when he was struck on Aug. 2, according to a release from the school, after which he went into cardiac arrest and died at the scene.

Murphy, a 2018 graduate of Boston College High School who later attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, had been on a wilderness first responder expedition, according to an obituary released by his family.

In a statement, NOLS said that course members performed CPR for over an hour on Murphy, but attemps to revive him were ultimately unsuccessful.

“This is a very sad day for NOLS, our students and our families," the school said. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family of our student who passed away on this course and are focused on supporting their family through this difficult process.”

Another student was also injured in the strike, NOLS said. That student remains hospitalized and in stable condition, the school said. Both Murphy and the injured student, whose name has not been released, were flown to Jackson, Wyoming within four hours of the incident, the school said.

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