A tourist fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius while taking a selfie at the top of the active volcano. The 23-year-old is lucky to be alive after being rescued by authorities and taken to a local hospital for unspecified injuries.
- The man and his family climbed an illegal route. The family, said by Italian media to have been visiting from America, allegedly ignored a sign forbidding public access to a dangerous route to the top of Mount Vesuvius and decided to climb anyway.
- At the summit, the man decided to take a selfie. Wanting to get a view of the volcano and Naples in the background after making it to the 1,281m-high (4,202ft) summit, the man dropped his phone while taking a selfie and then fell into the crater while trying to retrieve it.
- He dropped several meters into the crater. A rescue helicopter, Vesuvius guides, and police had to be called to the scene in order to rescue him. Guides abseiled into the crater in order to retrieve him, though he’s said to only have received minor cuts and bruises.
- The man and his family now face criminal charges. Ignoring clearly posted signage and deciding to do what you want at Mount Vesuvius and any other public monument isn’t just disrespectful, it’s downright dangerous. The man is lucky to be alive and hopefully learned a valuable lesson from this experience.
