Lightning strike incidents in Italy

A series of lightning strikes involving hikers and climbers has been reported across various Italian regions.

In the Subiaco region, a 16-year-old scout was struck by lightning on Monte Livata during a thunderstorm while attempting to retrieve equipment near a tree. The teenager suffered cardiac arrest and was airlifted to the pediatric intensive care unit at Policlinico Gemelli in Rome. Two other scouts, aged 13 and 16, sustained moderate injuries and were treated for burns and general malaise.

The primary victim has since shown significant signs of improvement. Having woken from a coma, he is now able to move his limbs and communicate with his parents. Medical staff, led by Professor Marco Piastra, attributed the outcome to a ‘chain of survival’ involving immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by fellow scouts and rapid emergency response. If clinical progress continues, doctors plan to transition him to a phase focused on neurological rehabilitation.

On Mount Etna, a 30-year-old American tourist was struck and transported to a hospital in Catania in serious condition. He has since died; reports indicate he may have entered a restricted area to get closer to active lava flows during a period of high eruptive activity. He was declared dead upon arrival at Cannizzaro Hospital.

Additional fatalities and injuries have occurred in other mountainous areas. In Alto Adige, a local resident died on Piz Starlex after being struck during a descent. In the Dolomites, severe weather near Cortina D’Ampezzo resulted in lightning injuries to a group of Polish climbers on the Ra Gusela peak, as well as the rescue of two other climbers stranded by the storm.