{"id":24484,"date":"2026-08-21T14:35:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=24484"},"modified":"2026-08-21T14:35:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:35:59","slug":"mount-etna-eruption-forces-american-tourist-to-scramble-to-find-a-new-way-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=24484","title":{"rendered":"Mount Etna eruption forces American tourist to scramble to find a new way out"},"content":{"rendered":"


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NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

FIRST ON FOX: <\/strong>An American traveler’s vacation in Sicily turned into a travel nightmare after volcanic activity from Mount Etna disrupted flights and left her scrambling to find another route back to New York.<\/p>\n

Julie Sagoskin, editor-in-chief of Park Magazine in New York City, told Fox News Digital that she arrived in Sicily through Catania International Airport on Aug. 1 and spent more than a week traveling around the Italian island.<\/p>\n

The trouble began when it was time to return home Aug. 10. Sagoskin said her flight from Catania was canceled amid ongoing volcanic activity.<\/p>\n

CARIBBEAN HOT SPOT GRIPPED BY WATER CRISIS, AND TOURISTS SCRAMBLE TO RESCHEDULE PLANS<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Right when we arrived at the airport, we did get a notice that our flight was canceled,” Sagoskin said.<\/p>\n

She said another traveler in her group who had reached the airport earlier described the scene as “total chaos.”<\/p>\n

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Julie Sagoskin, shown above, faced a recent travel nightmare in Sicily after Mount Etna erupted.<\/span> (Julie Sagoskin; Fabrizio Villa\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sagoskin’s group knew volcanic activity was affecting travel. Friends who had planned to fly out two days earlier had their flight canceled and returned to stay with the group, she said.<\/p>\n

Sagoskin hoped conditions would improve by her scheduled departure.<\/p>\n

VACATION NIGHTMARE UNFOLDS AS FERRY PASSENGERS BATTLE SEASICKNESS AT ISLAND HOT SPOT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Instead, she found herself weighing whether to wait for flights to resume or find another way off the island.<\/p>\n

“You’re in a foreign country, first of all,” Sagoskin said. “It’s obviously a big … natural disaster. So there’s nothing anybody can do about this.”<\/p>\n

The cancellation came amid widespread disruption at Catania’s airport. Between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12, more than a third of the 1,974 scheduled flights were canceled, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n

The disruption affected thousands of travelers during the busy summer season, with some passengers spending days waiting for a way out, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sagoskin and others gathered at a hotel near the airport. Some discussed waiting another couple of days, while others began looking for flights from different cities.<\/p>\n

Sagoskin decided to head to Rome hoping there would be more flights there.<\/p>\n

She quickly booked a ticket for an approximately 11-hour overnight train ride from Catania to Rome as seats began filling up.<\/p>\n

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Sagoskin, pictured above in Italy, booked an approximately 11-hour overnight train from Catania to Rome as travel options quickly filled up, hoping she could catch a flight from there.<\/span> (Julie Sagoskin)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The journey brought another unexpected twist when the train was transported across the water by ferry.<\/p>\n

“The trip really turned into a trip upon a trip,” Sagoskin said.<\/p>\n

The journey was made more challenging by stretches without air conditioning, she said.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

After days of uncertainty, Sagoskin said seeing that her flight from Rome wasn’t delayed brought a sense of relief.<\/p>\n

She finally flew home from Rome on Aug. 11, one day after her original return date.<\/p>\n

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Mount Etna’s eruption, pictured above, affected thousands of travelers during the busy summer season.<\/span> (AP Photo\/Simone Genovese)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Other members of her group took different approaches. Some traveled through Palermo, while others dealt with additional flight cancellations, overnight stays and lost luggage, Sagoskin said.<\/p>\n

“I think you have to come up with one plan and stick to it,” Sagoskin said, noting that it would be easy to second-guess her decisions afterward.<\/p>\n

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mount Etna’s activity was visible during the ordeal, Sagoskin said. She recalled seeing the volcano while traveling toward the airport.<\/p>\n

She saw ash around the hotel near the airport, including near the pool area, where guests were temporarily told to leave.<\/p>\n

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Pictured above in Italy, Sagoskin said the experience taught her the importance of being flexible when traveling.<\/span> (Julie Sagoskin)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Despite the difficult journey, Sagoskin said the ordeal did not overshadow her positive experience in Sicily.<\/p>\n

“It was memorable,” she said. “We will remember this for a lifetime.”<\/p>\n

She said the experience reinforced the importance of staying flexible.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We got out safely,” Sagoskin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Things can happen in life at any time. You just have to … make decisions, be prepared and move on.”<\/p>\n

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Kelly McGreal is a production assistant with the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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