Overview
- Italian firefighters said a 29–30‑year‑old man from Kansas was struck by lightning on Mount Etna on Sunday and was flown in cardiac arrest to Cannizzaro Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
- Rescuers found the man alone in an exposed area above the tree line reported as Valle del Bove/Rocca Capra, and authorities say parts of Etna’s upper slopes had been closed to visitors because of recent eruptions.
- A fire department helicopter reached the hiker around 8 p.m., emergency crews performed a medevac to Catania, and officials have withheld the victim’s name while next of kin are being notified.
- Mount Etna entered an active eruptive phase in early August with repeated lava flows and persistent ash that disrupted flights at Catania International Airport and led officials to expand access restrictions on the mountain.
- Officials note that lightning is a greater cause of fatalities on Etna than eruptions, they urged hikers to obey closures and weather warnings, and investigators are reminding visitors that storms at high elevation can develop very quickly.