History buffs in the Rocky Mountain region may find a curious coincidence that unfolded more than eighty years ago. In August 1937, a twelve‑year‑old boy named Wayne Koster was riding his horse and moving yearling heifers near Horse Creek, Wyoming, when a bolt of lightning struck him. The strike left him with a ruptured eardrum, a broken collarbone, and a scarred face. Neighbors found him unconscious, rushed him to the hospital, and he survived the ordeal.
Two years later, on June 23, 1939, a fourteen‑year‑old boy named Wayne Ball was tending cattle near Briggsdale, Colorado. While answering a telephone call, the voice on the line warned him that another boy, Wayne Kosser of Cheyenne, had been hit by lightning. Ball, too, was moving yearling heifers on his horse when a lightning bolt struck. He was knocked out for about thirty minutes, freed his leg from under his horse, and then limped two and a half miles to find help. Like his Wyoming counterpart, he suffered a ruptured eardrum and a broken collarbone.
Uncanny Parallels
Both young men shared more than just a first name. Their middle initials were the same, and they were born within months of each other—May 14, 1925, and July 28, 1925. Each was working with cattle at the time of the strike, each sustained similar injuries, and each managed to survive despite the severity of the event.
The Wyoming Eagle reported the 1938 incident involving Wayne Kosser, while The Fence Post in Colorado later published the story of Wayne Ball, noting the striking similarities. The Colorado newspaper even arranged a photo session that brought the two Wayne’s together to swap stories and memorabilia.
Local Reflection
These historic anecdotes serve as a reminder of the rugged, unpredictable life of early cowboys in the high plains. While the events occurred decades ago, they remain a point of curiosity for residents of Cheyenne, Greeley, and the surrounding ranching communities. The tales underscore the resilience of those who work the land and the extraordinary coincidences that can arise in the wide‑open West.
Today, local historians and heritage societies continue to preserve these stories, adding color to the region’s rich frontier legacy. Whether shared at a community gathering, featured in a museum exhibit, or recounted in a family’s oral history, the lightning strikes that befell the two Waynes illustrate both the dangers of frontier life and the enduring spirit of the American West.
Original reporting: K2 Radio (Casper) — read the source article.
