Tourist dies after lightning strike on Mount Etna
Italian media report that an American citizen was struck by lightning on Sunday evening while hiking on Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe. The man, thought to be either 29 or 30 years old, died of cardiac arrest while a helicopter rescue team attempted to resuscitate him, according to Deutsche Welle. Emergency services said the man was in cardiac arrest when the helicopter crew arrived around 8 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT). He was pronounced dead on arrival at Cannizzaro Hospital in nearby Catania.
VICE, citing the Associated Press, identified the victim as a 29-year-old man from Kansas. His name has not been released. Rescuers found him alone in an exposed area around 4,600 feet above sea level, and he was airlifted to the hospital before being pronounced dead.
Restricted areas and rescue details
The man is believed to have been hiking alone in a prohibited area on Etna's eastern slope, which is currently experiencing heightened volcanic activity. According to Deutsche Welle, authorities suspect he may have ignored closure markings on Sunday to climb toward a new crater when he got caught in a storm. The rescue team extracted him from the Rocca Capra area of the mountain, some 1,400 meters above sea level, where they attempted resuscitation.
VICE reported that the area where the man was found, known as Valle del Bove, had been closed to hikers, according to local fire officials. Local authorities had restricted access to parts of the volcano because of recent heightened activity, some of which had disrupted flights at nearby Catania Airport.
Volcanic activity and weather risks
Mount Etna, standing at 3,324 meters (almost 11,000 feet), attracts many tourists, especially now as visitors come to see lava fountains and smoke. The volcano's activity has disrupted international air travel, with the nearby Catania airport suffering disruptions due to smoke plumes and micro-particles, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
Weather forecasts had predicted thunderstorms in Sicily on Sunday, but the lightning could also have been generated by the volcanic eruption itself. VICE noted that volcanic lightning can occur when ash particles collide and create electrical charges. Officials say more people have died from lightning strikes on Etna in recent decades than from the volcano itself, and the last eruption-related death on the mountain was in 1987.
Italian authorities have repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by Etna's activity. Italy's civil protection agency warns that volcanic activity and sudden weather changes could create an especially risky combination, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.