American tourist struck by lightning on Italy's Mount Etna dies
by Joe Fisher · UPIAug. 17 (UPI) -- A 30-year-old American tourist died on Sunday in Italy after being struck by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna in Sicily.
The victim was a male who has not been named by authorities. He was hiking on Mount Etna, an active volcano, when a thunderstorm developed. He was later found by firefighters and emergency responders suffering from cardiac arrest.
The area where the man was hiking is designated off-limits to hikers as it nears the summit of the volcano.
The man was flown to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, Italy, where he was declared dead.
Tourists have been drawn to Mount Etna of late as the volcano has been erupting. Italian authorities warn that the volcanic activity and changing weather conditions make visiting Mount Etna potentially hazardous.
Authorities have expanded the areas of the volcano that are off limits due to the increased volcanic activity.
Italy's Civil Protection Agency says the conditions on the mountain can quickly become hazardous.
"The passage from sea level to high mountain within a few kilometers causes sudden changes in weather due to currents of humid air coming from the sea meeting masses of cold air," the agency said.
The mountain sees about 1.5 million visitors each year.
The death of the American tourist was one of two as a result of a lightning strike in Italy on Sunday. An Italian man was struck while he was hiking in the Alps.
Historic August moments through the years
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famed "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on August 28, 1963. The speech galvanized the nation's civil rights movements and led to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. File photo by UPI | License Photo