American Tourist Falls into Vesuvius Crater While Taking Selfie

An American tourist suffered minor injuries after falling into the crater of Mount Vesuvius while trying to retrieve his phone. The 23-year-old man and his family had reached the summit of the 1,281-meter high volcano, ignoring barricades set up for visitors and taking a closed path.

According to local press reports, the man was taking a selfie when his phone slipped from his hands and fell into the crater. He then descended into the crater to retrieve the phone but lost his balance and fell several meters.

Guides were the first to reach the scene of the incident and descended into the crater to help the man. The police also arrived, and a mountain rescue helicopter was used to assist in the rescue operation. The man sustained minor injuries to his hands and back.

The tourist and three of his relatives have been charged for trespassing in a restricted area. The group went to the volcano without tickets and traversed a path clearly marked as forbidden due to extreme danger.