Climbed Europe's active volcano – and was killed by lightning instead

A 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas was killed by a lightning strike on Mount Etna in Sicily, in an area that was closed to visitors due to volcanic activity. He was rescued by helicopter but was pronounced dead. Authorities said that in recent decades, more people have been killed on the mountain by lightning than by eruptions.

A 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas was killed last night (Sunday) by a lightning strike on Mount Etna in Sicily, one of the world's most active volcanoes. The young man was hiking in an area that was closed to visitors due to recent volcanic activity, and was struck by lightning in the evening in an exposed area above the tree line. He was rescued by helicopter, but medical teams pronounced him dead. His name has not been released. Authorities have closed large areas on the mountain's slopes to hikers due to Etna's prolonged activity, which also led to the closure of Catania's airport for most of last week. Officials noted that in recent decades, more people have been killed on Etna by lightning strikes than as a result of volcanic activity. The last deaths directly caused by an eruption on Europe's most active volcano occurred in 1987.