Archive · 18 Aug 2026
American Hiker Dies After Lightning Strike on Mount Etna
A man from Kansas in the United States went hiking on a big mountain in Italy called Mount Etna.
Mount Etna is a volcano, which is a mountain that can shoot out hot lava and ash.
While he was walking high up on the mountain, a thunderstorm came, and lightning hit him.
Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the sky.
The man got hurt very badly and his heart stopped beating.
Rescue workers flew to him in a helicopter and took him to a hospital in a city called Catania.
The doctors tried very hard to help him, but they could not save him.
Mount Etna is a very popular place to visit, with about one and a half million visitors every year.
But it can be dangerous because of the volcano and sudden weather changes.
The people who watch the volcano say that lightning has hurt more people there than the volcano itself.
A 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas died after being struck by lightning while hiking on Sicily's Mount Etna on Sunday evening; one Italian media report described him as a Texan in his 30s.
He was hiking above the tree line in a restricted zone, apparently trying to get closer to the volcano's summit, when a thunderstorm hit.
He was found at about 1,400 meters (nearly 4,600 feet) in the Rocca Capra area; rescue crews reached him by helicopter around 8 pm local time and found him in cardiac arrest.
He was airlifted to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, where doctors were unable to revive him; his identity has not been released pending family notification.
Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, has shown increased activity with lava flows and ash emissions disrupting air traffic; authorities say lightning has claimed more lives on Etna in recent decades than volcanic activity.
- Who
- A 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas (one Italian media report described him as a Texan in his 30s); his identity has not been released pending family notification.
- What
- He died after being struck by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna; he was found in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania.
- When
- Sunday evening; rescue crews reached him by helicopter at around 8 pm local time.
- Where
- Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, Italy, at about 1,400 meters (nearly 4,600 feet) in the Rocca Capra area; he was airlifted to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania.
- Why
- He was hiking above the tree line in a restricted zone during a thunderstorm, an area where Italy's Civil Protection agency warns conditions can become particularly dangerous.
- Victim
- 29-year-old American man from Kansas (one report said Texas)
- Cause of death
- Lightning strike, resulting in cardiac arrest
- Location
- Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy (Rocca Capra area, about 1,400 meters / 4,600 feet)
- Rescue time
- Around 8 pm local time, reached by helicopter
- Hospital
- Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania
- Etna height
- 3,324 meters (nearly 11,000 feet)
- Annual visitors to Etna
- Around 1.5 million
- Aviation alert level
- Recently lowered from red to orange
