Lightning Strike Claims US Hiker on Mount Etna

Sun Sep 06 2026 08:32:30 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

An American tourist died after a lightning strike while hiking on Sicily’s active volcano, Mount Etna.

A 30‑year‑old American hiker was struck by lightning on Mount Etna during a thunderstorm, leading to a fatal heart‑attack in the restricted summit area. He was transported by helicopter to Catania hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mount Etna’s recent eruptions have both attracted tourists and caused air‑traffic disruptions, prompting authorities to limit access higher up the mountain due to the combined risks of volcanic activity and sudden weather changes. Roughly 1.5 million visitors are drawn annually to Etna’s slopes, but ash fallout has clouded skies over eastern Sicily, forcing a downgrade of the aviation alert from red to orange. The incident underscores the unpredictable hazards facing visitors of active volcanic regions.

Lightning Strike Claims US Hiker on Mount Etna

An American tourist died after being struck by lightning while hiking on Sicily’s active volcano, Mount Etna.

The 30‑year‑old, unnamed, was on the volcano on Sunday when a thunderstorm erupted, according to local media. He was found by firefighters and emergency services in cardiac arrest at about 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) in a restricted area near the summit that hikers sometimes use to get closer to the peak.

A helicopter transported him to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Mount Etna’s recent eruptions have disrupted local air traffic and attracted large crowds, drawing around 1.5 million visitors each year. Ash fallout has clouded the skies over eastern Sicily and caused hundreds of flights to cancel, prompting a downgrade of the aviation alert from the highest red level to orange.

Italian civil‑protection authorities warn that the combination of volcanic activity and sudden weather changes higher up the mountain can make conditions hazardous, and they have restricted access to more areas of Etna, including the upper slopes below the tree line.