Wind kills German kitesurfer in Sicily

ROME, Italy — A strong gust of wind killed a German kitesurfer in Sicily on Sunday as high winds and heavy rain battered much of the rest of Italy.

The 65-year-old man died on the Islands of the Stagnone nature reserve when a gust of wind lifted him and his kite as he was entering the sea, smashing him against a parked car, Italian media reported.

He was not wearing a buoyancy device or helmet despite the authorities recently making them mandatory for kitesurfers.

Heavy wind and rain on Sunday also destroyed vineyards and greenhouses and flooded fields in the northern regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, farmers' union Coldiretti said.

It estimated the loss of young fruit at a sensitive time of year at millions of euros. — Agence France-Presse