Bakersfield native struck by lightning on hike near Muir Trail Ranch
Aug. 8—A Bakersfield native was struck and killed by lightning while hiking near the Muir Trail Ranch in Fresno County.
Nicholas Torchia, 37, who lived in Fresno at the time of his death, was nearly at the end of his 10-mile hike in the early afternoon of July 30 when he ducked under a tall tree to put on a poncho before continuing toward the ranch. Rain had begun to fall, and the group hoped to make it to their lodging before the brunt of the storm hit.
Torchia's uncle, Tom Holbrook, was about 40 to 50 feet ahead, waiting under another tree when he said the lightning struck, making a sound like a cannon had just gone off nearby.
"I feel like I jumped full on," Holbrook said. "Within seconds, this guy comes running down the trail with no pack on, and he's running fast. He goes, 'he's been hit' and then we just go, 'oh crap.'"
Born and raised in Bakersfield, Torchia graduated from Ridgeview High School. At the time of his death, he was attending community college in Fresno with the hopes of becoming a counselor. His family said he was an outgoing person, who could make friends with almost anybody.
"When he met people, he wasn't there to impress them. He was there to find out what their story was," said father Rick Torchia. "He was so at ease and so gentle, people would just open up to him and tell him all sorts of stuff about their life."
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, as part of his military service, he traveled the world, but found solace in the Sierra Nevadas, where he was a frequent hiker. About 10 years ago, he started going on weeklong hiking trips with his uncles and their friends.
This year, the group had settled on a trip to Sallie Keyes Lake, a remote lake along the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails. On their way back, the weather turned for the worse.
"We were almost there to our destination," Holbrook said. "That was where the one lightning strike hit, and there was none before and none after. It was bizarre at best."
About 20 people rushed from the camp to help and bystanders administered CPR for around three hours waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. But the weather prevented a helicopter from landing until the evening, and the lightning hit a part of the wilderness that is hours from nearby medical resources. By the time help did arrive, the CPR had stopped and Torchia had died.
His family has been trying to process the tragedy since it occurred. They take comfort in the fact that Torchia was deeply religious and believe he has gone on to a better place.
"His whole life was based on the word, and following the word, and being a Christian man, and he lived up to it," said mother Kathy Torchia. "I'm at peace knowing he went to heaven. I'm at peace about that and comforted by that. But that doesn't mean I won't miss him every single moment for the rest of my life, but there's still consolation in that."
The family hopes to bury Torchia in the Bakersfield National Cemetery. The abrupt nature of the tragedy has made his death difficult to process, but faith is helping his family deal with the loss.
"My belief is that's what we're here for is to aim for heaven," his mother said, noting that Torchia would often use the hiking trips to discuss Christianity. "And he did. He shot right to it."
You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.
