HERO TEEN SHIELDED BROTHER DURING MOUNT BLUE SKY LIGHTNING STRIKE

A hero teenager killed in a lightning strike while hiking on Mount Blue Sky shielded his brother from the deadly bolt, the youth's family said.

Levi Strobel, 15, "showed the courage and selflessness that characterized his life, seeking to protect his younger brother, who was with him on the mountain." the family said in a statement. "He was a brave and loving brother, and we will always remember the devotion he showed to those he loved," the Strobel's statement said. The younger boy suffered injuries and was airlifted to hospital in the Denver area, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said. Two men in the same hiking party of five suffered minor injuries in Saturday's tragedy, the sheriff's office said. [Photo: Clear Cree County Sheriff]