Ryan Cross, 34, was riding his bike during a camping trip with friends near Idaho City when a hailstorm swept in and lightning struck.

The father-of-two was taken to hospital where he was treated for bleeding in his brain. According to his wife Heather, he is now alert, eating and has even had the chance to walk.

Photos posted by his wife on Facebook show Mr Cross on his hospital bed with what appears to be a red streak down the front of his chest and a red mark on his back from the bolt.

She told 7 KTVB.com: "They were riding, and it started raining and then all of a sudden it started hailing pretty heavily so they stopped.

"Ryan got off his four-wheeler went under a tree to protect himself from the hail, leaned up against a tree, was looking at a map on his phone, and that is when it all happened."

Two of Mr Cross’ friends were also hit by the lightning bolt.

One was on a four-wheeler and just got an intense ringing in his ears.

The other had one foot on the ground and one still on his dirt bike, so his leg was hit indirectly by the bolt.

On hearing the news her husband was in hospital, Mrs Cross said: "I really just tried to stay strong. The drive from Nampa to here (Boise) was the longest drive of my life. I didn't know what I was going to walk into."