Italy: Hiker Rescued After Falling Into Lava Cave on Mount Etna
A young woman was seriously injured after falling four meters into a lava cave on Mount Etna in Italy on sunday, around 11:30 a.m., according to the Sicilian mountain rescue service. Her dog also fell into the cavity, known as the “hiking Shepherd’s Denus.”
Specially trained cave and mountain rescuers extracted the hiker and her dog after approximately two hours. The woman was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries, while the dog was unharmed.
The incident occurred south of Etna’s peak. Lava caves around Etna are popular tourist destinations, but “entering caves is always associated with a high potential for danger and should only be carried out with the appropriate equipment and in the presence of qualified personnel,” warns tour operator Etna Natura.
Mount Etna, over 3,300 meters high, frequently erupts and is under constant monitoring. An eruption occurred at the end of August, prompting the highest warning level for air traffic.