Rome – A 30-year-old American tourist died Sunday after being struck by lightning on Italy’s Mount Etna, according to the Italian national news agency ANSA and other major media outlets. The man, whose name has not been confirmed by authorities, was walking on the volcano when a powerful storm hit the area. According to initial reports from ANSA and other agencies, he had entered an area designated as off-limits to hikers, apparently in an effort to get closer to the top of the active volcano. Firefighters and emergency services reached the man by helicopter around 8 pm local time (2 pm Eastern time) on Sunday and found him in cardiac arrest. He was flown to the Cannizzaro hospital in Catania, but doctors were unable to revive him and he was declared dead at 9:30 p.m., according to local newspaper Catania Today. Eruptive activity from Mount Etna continues alongside continued ash emissions from the Voragine summit crater in Catania, Sicily, Italy, on August 14, 2026, as the spectacular glowing lava flows attract an exceptional influx of hikers, tourists and onlookers eager to witness the volcanic phenomenon at night. Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu/Getty The death of the man occurs during a particularly active phase of the volcano, which is the highest in Europe and one of the most active in the world. Recent weeks have caused repeated lava flows and ash eruptions. Ash has clouded the skies over eastern Sicily and disrupted operations at the nearby Catania international airport. Etna is visited by approximately 1.5 million people each year. The combination of volcanic activity and sudden climate changes can make conditions on the mountain particularly dangerous. According to Italy’s Civil Protection agency, as visitors ascend the mountain, they relatively quickly encounter high mountain conditions. “The passage from sea level to high mountains in a few kilometers causes sudden changes in weather due to currents of humid air coming from the sea that meet masses of cold air,” the agency warns. Recently, authorities have restricted access to more areas of the volcano, particularly on the upper slopes, where there is little shelter above the tree line, due to increased volcanic activity. The incident was one of two fatal lightning strikes reported in Italy on Sunday. According to authorities, an Italian man also died after being run over while hiking in the Alps in the province of South Tyrol. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
