Colorado rancher is killed along with 34 of his cattle in freak lightning strike

A 51-year-old Colorado rancher tragically lost his life 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 struck. He died on the scene after emergency responders tried to resuscitate him, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said.

Morgan's wife, Niki, was approximately 200 feet away from Morgan when the lightning bolt struck and it was strong enough to knock her off her horse, according to a Facebook post from His Cavvy Foundation, a nonprofit helping ranchers with serious medical issues.

Morgan's father-in-law was also reportedly near the blast but survived.

The strike bowled over around 100 head of cattle that had crowded around the trailer that Morgan was feeding them out of, county coroner George Crocket said.

Mike Morgan was killed in a freak lightning strike over the weekend, Jackson County officials revealed Monday

Morgan, 51, was a rancher in the town of Walden, Colorado, a tight-knit community outside of Denver

Morgan's family was recently able to afford 300 cattle of their own, and it was their dream to own their own animals

'All but the 34 got up,' Crocket added. 

The lightning bolt struck a pasture outside the town of Rand, which is about 80 miles northwest of Denver, NBC reported.

Morgan is survived by his wife Niki and his 17-year-old daughter, Dallas, both of whom are involved in the ranching occupation as well.

The His Cavvy Foundation described Morgan and his family as 'an upstanding pillar' in the town of Walden, Colorado. 

The foundation's post explained that Morgan had always been working on a local ranch, which recently afforded the family the opportunity to purchase 300 pairs. Pairs refer to a cow and her calf.

'Mike’s wife, Niki, has spent all winter calving these pairs out while Mike held down a job at Silver Spur Ranches,' the post said. 'They do what we all do, whatever it takes to make a living, and they do it by doing what we are all passionate about. Ranching...'

The His Cavvy Foundation wrote that Morgan's family has donated time, resources and finances to its various causes throughout the years. 

'Mike was a loving father and a tender, intentional husband,' the post said. 'We will all miss that big ole smile he always carried.'