A 43-year-old American hiker died Wednesday after being struck by lightning near the summit of Mount Etna, Sicily’s iconic active volcano. The incident occurred during a sudden, violent thunderstorm that caught several groups of tourists off guard at high altitudes.
Emergency teams, including the Italian Alpine Rescue (Soccorso Alpino), reached the site shortly after the strike, but the man—whose identity has not yet been released by officials—was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other hikers traveling with him were also hit but survived; they were airlifted to a hospital in Catania with non-life-threatening injuries.
The weather on Etna shifts with little warning. While the volcano is a popular destination for thousands of international tourists, the terrain offers virtually no shelter once climbers pass the tree line. Rescue officials noted that the group was near the 3,000-meter mark when the storm cell moved in, turning a clear morning into a high-risk environment within minutes.
“It was a freak weather event that escalated faster than anyone could have anticipated,” a spokesperson for the local mountain rescue unit said. “The mountain is unforgiving when the sky turns.”
This tragedy marks a grim reminder of the volatility of high-altitude environments. Local authorities frequently issue warnings about the rapid drop in temperature and the lightning risks associated with volcanic peaks, yet the allure of the summit often leads hikers to underestimate the speed at which conditions deteriorate.
The Italian authorities are currently working with the U.S. Consulate in Naples to contact the victim’s family. Meanwhile, the two survivors remain under observation, treated primarily for shock and minor burns sustained during the discharge.
For now, guided tours to the higher altitudes of Mount Etna have been temporarily suspended as officials assess the safety protocols for the remainder of the week.
