A 23-year-old American tourist fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano looming over Naples, Italy, after taking a closed route clearly marked as being highly dangerous and out-of-bounds.
The incident occurred on Saturday after the tourist and his family decided to bypass the visitor entrance to the volcano and take a forbidden route to the summit, local media reports. The man was attempting to take a selfie at the summit and dropped his phone. He fell several meters into the crater trying to retrieve it.
A rescue helicopter, carabinieri, and Vesuvius guides were involved in the rappel rescue.
He was treated for cuts and bruises to his arms and back. The tourist and his family were then cited by police for taking the prohibited route.
According to Wikipedia, Mount Vesuvius is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera, caused by the collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae, as well as several other settlements. The eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes, and volcanic gases to a height of 33 km (21 mi), erupting molten rock and pulverized pumice at the rate of 6×105 cubic meters (7.8×105 cu yd) per second. More than 1,000 people are thought to have died in the eruption, though the exact toll is unknown. The only surviving eyewitness account of the event consists of two letters by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus.
Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. Today, it is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living near enough to be affected by an eruption, with 600,000 in the danger zone, making it the most densely populated volcanic region in the world. It has a tendency towards violently explosive eruptions, which are now known as Plinian eruptions.
![[UPDATED: June 20] NOAA Winter 2025-26 Outlook: Long-Lead Seasonal Outlook Gives Sneak Peek of Next Winter](https://i0.wp.com/staging.snowbrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/15590259_1384554308223048_766514356792859186_n.jpg?resize=40%2C40&ssl=1){kind=small}
![[PHOTOS] Landslide Tears Through Village Near Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italian Dolomites](https://i0.wp.com/staging.snowbrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_0285-e1750122614536.jpeg?resize=40%2C40&ssl=1){kind=small}
Missed a C. Spelling is not my strong suit.
You got me real good guy.
AnOnYmOuS – Boomer, I know, I could “what” it all day!
Its fun to what Wheezy talk to himself.
Wheezus here! Not from Tiburon, not rich, don’t take selfies, and not a “kid.” But I’m glad this imaginary character tortures you so much, your misery is not my problem.
Don’t allow the Wheezus family in your country and crap like this won’t happen. Wheezus the self absorbed rich kid from Tiburon. Who believes the world revolves around him.