After trespassing to snap a photo, an American tourist plunged into Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano in Italy, according to officials.
Before being rescued on Saturday by staff from a neighbouring park, the 23-year-old guy plummeted several metres into the crater after dropping his phone and attempting to grab it after taking a selfie.
He only suffered minor wounds, according to the authorities.
According to a Carabinieri of the Forestry division of the Park of Vesuvius spokeswoman, the individual, who has not been named, is believed to have taken an unapproved trail to the 1,281-meter summit of Mount Vesuvius.
The spokesperson told ABC News he believes the man went on the unmarked path because tickets for visiting Vesuvius, which are limited to 2,700 a day, were all booked.
The spokesperson claimed that the man had arrived at the side of the crater that is off-limits to visitors.
The upper portion of the crater is prohibited for solo access, and at around 3 p.m., local news media stated the park’s volcanological guides had detected several persons there.
According to a spokeswoman for the Carabinieri, the guides observed the man attempting to recover his cellphone and started going toward the scene right once. They were able to save the victim.
The man’s minor injuries to his back, knees, and arms were also treated with first aid by the guides.
The American guy who fell was accompanied by two other Americans, two Britons, and one Austrian, according to a representative for the Carabinieri.
Some local sources have reported that there were three family members with him, but the spokesperson believes only one of the other Americans is related to the man who fell.
The president of the Volcano Vesuvius Permanent Presidium and Figav-Confesercenti, Paolo Cappelli, told the Corriere Della Sera that he was grateful for the guides’ work.
“[The guides] are always on the crater to safeguard the safety of tourists. So, recognizing the promptness and professionalism shown on this occasion as well seemed the right thing to do,” Cappelli said.
“Having spoken directly with those who provided the rescue, I can safely say that last Saturday on Mount Vesuvius they saved a human life. I officially thank the whole group of guides belonging to the Presidio Permanente Vulcano Vesuvio, always ready and operational in any condition,” Cappelli added.
The man might have fallen 300 metres if the surrounding guides hadn’t intervened, according to a Carabinieri representative who talked with ABC News.
He claimed there were walls surrounding the opening on the side of the crater where people are allowed, but not where this individual was.
The representative claims that tourists rarely deviate from the path’s established route. Cappelli, however, claimed that this occurs roughly ten times a year and is a rather frequent event.
The Carabinieri representative stated that he does not anticipate that the individual would face any other legal consequences save a fine.
