A 29-year-old American tourist has died after being hit by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna in Sicily.
The man was struck on Sunday as a severe thunderstorm swept across the volcano.
He was rushed to a hospital in Catania by a firefighter helicopter but was pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been made public.
An emergency call came in shortly before 8 pm. He had been in the isolated Rocca Capra area of the active volcano, in the Valle del Bove, around 1,400 metres above sea level.
According to preliminary information from authorities, the man is believed to have been on his own and may have been in an area closed to the public or otherwise subject to restrictions because of Etna’s recent activity. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The rescue operation
An Italian firefighter Drago 142 helicopter was dispatched to the scene, where rescuers attempted to resuscitate the man. He was then winched aboard and flown to Catania’s Cannizzaro hospital, where he arrived in cardiac arrest.
Doctors continued resuscitation efforts, but he was later pronounced dead, at around 9:30 pm. His body has been transferred to the hospital morgue.
Police are investigating but, according to agency reports, no family members have yet been traced.
Etna remains highly active
Etna has continued to show highly eruptive activity in recent hours.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s (INGV) Etna Observatory reported the opening of a new lava vent in the Valle del Bove area after part of the eastern flank of the Rittmann summit cone collapsed.
The new vent, according to data released by the INGV, lies at around 2,350 metres above sea level and has produced a lava flow of about 500 metres, which has now come to a halt and cooled.
Another vent at around 1,900 metres remains active, with lava continuing to flow down to about 1,600 metres.
At the same time, explosive activity continues at Voragine, one of Etna’s summit craters.
The eruption plume has risen to around 6,000 metres above sea level, drifting south-east.
Volcanic tremors also remain at high, steady levels, confirming that the volcano is still in an active phase. The INGV is monitoring the situation closely.
Volcanic ash disrupts flights at Catania
Etna’s activity continues to affect air traffic to and from Sicily.
The presence of ash in the atmosphere has led authorities to extend the closure of sector B1 of the airspace and restrict arrivals at Catania-Fontanarossa airport.
Until noon on Tuesday, there will be no more than 10 flights arriving per hour, while there are currently no restrictions on departures.
Passengers are nevertheless being advised to check the status of their flight with the airline before travelling to the airport.
This is not the first time Etna’s activity has caused severe disruption at Catania airport. In recent days, ash emissions had already led to cancellations.
Thunderstorms pose significant risk in mountains
The American tourist’s death came as a 42-year-old man also died on Piz Starlex in South Tyrol, after apparently being struck by lightning during his descent.
His body was located late in the evening by a drone at an altitude of around 2,600 metres.
Mountain rescue teams warn that thunderstorms are among the most serious dangers for people hiking in the mountains.
Ridges, peaks, and rocky zones are particularly exposed, and hikers are advised to leave high ground and seek shelter as quickly as possible should they see lightning or hear thunder.
August is reportedly the busiest month of the year for mountain rescues in Italy.