Struck by lightning: Sorrow as American tourist dies while hiking
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- A 30-year-old American man was struck by lightning on Mount Etna during a thunderstorm on Sunday evening
- Firefighters found the tourist in cardiac arrest at around 1,400 metres in the Rocca Capra area of the volcano
- Italian authorities restricted access to parts of Etna amid heightened volcanic activity and dangerous weather conditions
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
A 30-year-old American tourist has died after being struck by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
The man, whose identity has not been released by authorities, was hiking on the active volcano when a thunderstorm struck.
Firefighters and emergency services located him in a state of cardiac arrest at approximately 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) in a restricted zone near the summit.
The BBC reported that a rescue helicopter airlifted him to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, where medical personnel declared him dead upon arrival.
Lightning strike on Mount Etna
The tourist was found in the Rocca Capra area at an altitude of roughly 1,400 metres, equivalent to nearly 4,600 feet above sea level.
The location sits in an exposed, barren stretch of the mountain's upper slopes, where there is little natural shelter from sudden weather changes.
It remains unclear whether the man had entered a formally closed section of the volcano at the time of the incident.
Italian authorities have been progressively restricting access to larger portions of Etna's slopes due to a prolonged period of intense volcanic activity that has caused significant disruption across eastern Sicily.
Etna's ongoing volcanic activity
According to CNN, Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, has experienced a series of eruptions in recent weeks, sending ash clouds across the region and affecting hundreds of flights at Catania International Airport.
The airport was forced to close for most of the week preceding the incident, and an aviation alert was only downgraded from red to orange on the Saturday before the man's death.
Italy's civil protection agency cautioned that the combination of volcanic conditions and unpredictable weather at higher altitudes creates particularly hazardous circumstances for hikers.
Above the tree line, where shelter is scarce, the risk from both falling ash and sudden electrical storms is significantly elevated.
Despite the warnings and access restrictions, the volcano continues to attract large numbers of tourists drawn by its dramatic activity.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.