Dylan Standfast, a 29-year-old man from Wichita, Kansas, died of cardiac arrest after being struck by lightning while climbing Mount Etna in Sicily. He was transported by helicopter to a hospital, where he passed away approximately one hour after arrival.
An old friend, Anna Gabriel, told KSN that Standfast, known for his nature-loving disposition and adventurous spirit, might have found his dramatic death fitting.
"Dylan was someone who, if you told him that he was killed by a lightning strike on top of a volcano, he would be psyched," Gabriel said. She added that Standfast was someone who "never met a stranger" and that "as soon as you met him, you were friends."
Standfast's family established a Facebook memorial page, requesting that people share their memories of him. In a statement, they described him as "a bright light in our lives, known for his adventurous and generous spirit."
Another individual who met Standfast while boarding a plane for Italy on August 5 recalled a conversation with him about his travels. "He was excited about his trip and told me some stories of other adventures he'd taken," the person stated, noting Standfast as a "bright and kind young man."
Standfast graduated from Wichita State University in 2019 with a degree in computer engineering and worked as a community activity coordinator at St Paul University Parish at the university from 2020 to 2022.
Bethany Linder, another friend from college, remembered Standfast for his supportive nature. "He'd be like: 'Yeah, that’s no big deal. Like, you’re the bigger deal here,' kind of a thing," she said. "It definitely made you feel really special. But yeah, he just wanted you to be a part of everything and feel really included."
Authorities had closed some areas of Mount Etna to hikers due to the volcano's ongoing activity, which had also led to the temporary closure of the nearby Catania airport. It remains unclear if Standfast was in a restricted area at the time of the incident. MONTAGE IMAGE:
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