An American tourist had to be rescued on Mount Vesuvius near Naples after he apparently slipped into Italy’s volcano crater while trying to retrieve his fallen cellphone, news reports and the Vesuvius Park Guides Association said.
The tourist and family members were cited by Carabinieri police for going off the authorized path to approach the crater on Saturday afternoon, apparently to take a selfie, LaPresse news agency reported.
The head of the Confesercenti tourism association for Vesuvius, Paolo Cappelli, said four volcano guides responded immediately after one noticed the tourist had fallen into the crater and was in “serious difficulty”.
In a statement, Cappelli said the guides lowered a rope 15 meters (50 feet) into the crater, pulled the tourist out and gave him first aid after he suffered abrasions to his legs, arm and back. Carabinieri park police then arrived and brought the American to the police station to file the complaint, Cappelli said.
Vesuvius, which erupted in AD 79. and destroyed the nearby city of Pompeii, is a popular hiking spot.
