U.S. tourist killed by lightning strike on Italy’s Mount Etna

Rome — A 30-year-old American tourist died Sunday after being struck by lightning on Italy’s Mount Etna, according to Italy’s national news agency ANSA and other major news outlets. 

The man, whose name has not been confirmed by authorities, was hiking on the volcano when a powerful thunderstorm moved across the area. According to initial reports by ANSA and other agencies, he had entered an area designated as off-limits to hikers, apparently in an effort to get closer to the summit of the active volcano.

Firefighters and emergency services reached the man via helicopter around 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. Eastern) on Sunday and found him in a state of cardiac arrest. He was flown to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, but doctors were unable to revive him and he was declared dead at 9:30 p.m., according to local newspaper Catania Today. 

The man’s death comes during a particularly active phase for the volcano, which is Europe’s tallest and one of the world’s most active. 

Recent weeks have brought repeated lava flows and ash eruptions. The ash has clouded the skies over eastern Sicily and disrupted operations at nearby Catania International Airport.

Etna is visited by roughly 1.5 million people every year. The combination of volcanic activity and sudden weather changes can make conditions on the mountain particularly hazardous. 

According to Italy’s Civil Protection agency, as visitors ascend the mountain they encounter high-mountain conditions relatively quickly.

“The passage from sea level to high mountain within a few kilometers causes sudden changes in weather due to currents of humid air coming from the sea meeting masses of cold air,” the agency warns.

Authorities have recently restricted access to more areas of the volcano, particularly on the upper slopes where there is little shelter above the tree line, due to the increased volcanic activity.

The incident was one of two fatal lightning strikes reported in Italy on Sunday. An Italian man also died after being struck while hiking in the Alps in the South Tyrol province, according to authorities.