KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — A 23-year-old American tourist sustained minor injuries after falling into the crater of Mount Vesuvius in Naples, Italy while retrieving his phone.
The man and his family had reached the 1,281-meter high summit of the volcano after bypassing a visitor turnstile and proceeding along an out-of-bounds path, The Guardian reported.
He reportedly fell while descending into the crater in an attempt to retrieve his phone which he dropped while taking a selfie.
The victim was later rescued by mountain guides, who abseiled into the crater to pull him out.
Police also attended to the scene and a mountain rescue helicopter was launched to assist the rescue operation.
The man was treated for cuts and bruises on his arms and back.
The tourist and his family now face charges of trespassing after being reported by the police.
The group had reportedly ventured to the volcano without any tickets, took a path that was clearly signposted as being forbidden due to being extremely dangerous.
Mount Vesuvius is considered to be among the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to its proximity to Naples and other nearby towns.
