Tourist falls ‘1,000 feet’ to her death in Italy while taking photo

Story from Jam Press (Tourist Dies Mountain) Pictured: Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva. Tourist, 36, plunges hundreds of feet to her death after 'moving off mountain path for photograph' A tourist plunged hundreds of metres to her death after reportedly stepping away from a mountain path to take a photograph. Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva was exploring the Italian Dolomites with relatives when tragedy struck. The 36-year-old American reportedly left the marked route to reach a panoramic spot near Forcella Pordoi, above Canazei in northern Italy. She then lost her footing and fell from an exposed section of the mountain at an altitude of approximately 2,750 metres, as reported by NeedToKnow. Local reports said the fatal fall happened in front of Michelle?s horrified relatives, including her sister. Witnesses raised the alarm shortly before midday on Saturday (17 October). Trentino Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service said Michelle fell approximately 300 metres. The emergency service confirmed that its Alta Val di Fassa team and an air ambulance were dispatched after the 112 control centre received the call. A mountain rescuer who was already nearby reached the scene and supplied the helicopter crew with the precise coordinates. Medical personnel were lowered onto the mountainside at around 12.30pm, but a doctor pronounced Michelle dead at the scene. Her relatives were flown to Canazei during the recovery operation before her body was taken from the mountain on a subsequent helicopter flight. It was then handed to the Carabinieri and fire service, according to rescuers. The operation ended at around 2.30pm. Michelle, who lived in Florida, had travelled across the Atlantic for a family holiday in the Trentino region. The group was reportedly close to the upper cable-car station and had intended to visit the Maria refuge on Sass Pordoi. Michelle moved away from the path to reach one of the area?s viewpoints before falling approximately 200 metres from the station, according to local outlet Il Dolomiti. The official rescue account does not state that she had been taking a photograph, saying only that she slipped at an exposed point while holidaying with her family. Forcella Pordoi lies in the Sella mountain group and is surrounded by the dramatic rock faces for which the UNESCO-listed Dolomites are famous. Michelle worked in communications, marketing and business development and had professional links to the Miami area. She was also reported to have attended Brigham Young University between 2008 and 2012 and participated in volunteering projects. ENDS EDITOR'S NOTE: Fair Dealing / Fair Use: In limited cases, Jam Press may distribute material under fair dealing/fair use principles for legitimate editorial reporting purposes. Jam Press accepts responsibility for licensed editorial publisher usage only. Any additional client usage, including use across owned social media channels, commercial marketing or non-editorial purposes, remains the responsibility of the client.

A 36-year-old American woman died after falling off a cliff in Italy while attempting to take a picture.

Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva from Florida was on holiday with her family in the Dolomites when the incident took place on October 17, according to local Italian outlets.

Leiva had been hiking in the Val di Fassa, a scenic alpine valley in Trentino,when she reportedly strayed from a designated mountain path to take a photo. Tragically, she lost her footing and plunged almost 1,000 feet down the slope, CNN stated.

However, other reports differ on how far she fell, as Il Dolomiti reported it was approximately 656 feet.

Story from Jam Press (Tourist Dies Mountain) Pictured: Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva. Tourist, 36, plunges hundreds of feet to her death after 'moving off mountain path for photograph' A tourist plunged hundreds of metres to her death after reportedly stepping away from a mountain path to take a photograph. Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva was exploring the Italian Dolomites with relatives when tragedy struck. The 36-year-old American reportedly left the marked route to reach a panoramic spot near Forcella Pordoi, above Canazei in northern Italy. She then lost her footing and fell from an exposed section of the mountain at an altitude of approximately 2,750 metres, as reported by NeedToKnow. Local reports said the fatal fall happened in front of Michelle?s horrified relatives, including her sister. Witnesses raised the alarm shortly before midday on Saturday (17 October). Trentino Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service said Michelle fell approximately 300 metres. The emergency service confirmed that its Alta Val di Fassa team and an air ambulance were dispatched after the 112 control centre received the call. A mountain rescuer who was already nearby reached the scene and supplied the helicopter crew with the precise coordinates. Medical personnel were lowered onto the mountainside at around 12.30pm, but a doctor pronounced Michelle dead at the scene. Her relatives were flown to Canazei during the recovery operation before her body was taken from the mountain on a subsequent helicopter flight. It was then handed to the Carabinieri and fire service, according to rescuers. The operation ended at around 2.30pm. Michelle, who lived in Florida, had travelled across the Atlantic for a family holiday in the Trentino region. The group was reportedly close to the upper cable-car station and had intended to visit the Maria refuge on Sass Pordoi. Michelle moved away from the path to reach one of the area?s viewpoints before falling approximately 200 metres from the station, according to local outlet Il Dolomiti. The official rescue account does not state that she had been taking a photograph, saying only that she slipped at an exposed point while holidaying with her family. Forcella Pordoi lies in the Sella mountain group and is surrounded by the dramatic rock faces for which the UNESCO-listed Dolomites are famous. Michelle worked in communications, marketing and business development and had professional links to the Miami area. She was also reported to have attended Brigham Young University between 2008 and 2012 and participated in volunteering projects. ENDS EDITOR'S NOTE: Fair Dealing / Fair Use: In limited cases, Jam Press may distribute material under fair dealing/fair use principles for legitimate editorial reporting purposes. Jam Press accepts responsibility for licensed editorial publisher usage only. Any additional client usage, including use across owned social media channels, commercial marketing or non-editorial purposes, remains the responsibility of the client.

Leiva’s sister saw her sibling fall and called emergency services around 12pm local time. A rescuer reached the site of the incident and provided Leiva’s location coordinates to an air rescue technician.

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Sadly, when the technician and medics arrived on the scene it was too late and Leiva was pronounced dead. The recovery operation lasted several hours and concluded at about 2:30pm local time, Il Dolomiti reported.

Leiva’s death was announced later in the week after her next of kin were notified, police say.

Her family members who were with her at the time were airlifted to Canazei, a premier alpine municipality and ski resort located in the upper Val di Fassa, while her body was retrieved, CNN reports.

Leiva, her family, and the rest of the tour group were on their way to a cable car station to take them to the summit of Sass Pordoi, where they were supposed to have dinner at a renowned mountaintop restaurant when the accident happened.

This part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site is only accessible by cable car and, at its highest, reaches 9,344 feet.

The Dolomites as a whole are known for their panoramic views, dramatic rock formations, and unique fossil records.

Forcella Pordoi Mountain Dew. Pordoi. Dolominti. Trentino Alto Adige. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Federico Meneghetti/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Recently, the Dolomites have surged in popularity, driven by social media tourism, viral TikTok trends, and ‘coolcations’ as travellers swap extreme heatwaves in southern Europe and coastal areas for cooler climes.

The Italian Alpine Rescue unit told CNN that the region’s hiking areas can be dangerous due to steep slopes, loose gravel and falling rocks.

The outlet reported that more than 80 people have died in the Dolomites this year alone.

This is a huge increase, as the Dolomites traditionally average about 10 deaths per year from mountain accidents. Totals vary significantly depending on weather conditions and visitor numbers.

Story from Jam Press (Tourist Dies Mountain) Pictured: Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva. Tourist, 36, plunges hundreds of feet to her death after 'moving off mountain path for photograph' A tourist plunged hundreds of metres to her death after reportedly stepping away from a mountain path to take a photograph. Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva was exploring the Italian Dolomites with relatives when tragedy struck. The 36-year-old American reportedly left the marked route to reach a panoramic spot near Forcella Pordoi, above Canazei in northern Italy. She then lost her footing and fell from an exposed section of the mountain at an altitude of approximately 2,750 metres, as reported by NeedToKnow. Local reports said the fatal fall happened in front of Michelle?s horrified relatives, including her sister. Witnesses raised the alarm shortly before midday on Saturday (17 October). Trentino Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service said Michelle fell approximately 300 metres. The emergency service confirmed that its Alta Val di Fassa team and an air ambulance were dispatched after the 112 control centre received the call. A mountain rescuer who was already nearby reached the scene and supplied the helicopter crew with the precise coordinates. Medical personnel were lowered onto the mountainside at around 12.30pm, but a doctor pronounced Michelle dead at the scene. Her relatives were flown to Canazei during the recovery operation before her body was taken from the mountain on a subsequent helicopter flight. It was then handed to the Carabinieri and fire service, according to rescuers. The operation ended at around 2.30pm. Michelle, who lived in Florida, had travelled across the Atlantic for a family holiday in the Trentino region. The group was reportedly close to the upper cable-car station and had intended to visit the Maria refuge on Sass Pordoi. Michelle moved away from the path to reach one of the area?s viewpoints before falling approximately 200 metres from the station, according to local outlet Il Dolomiti. The official rescue account does not state that she had been taking a photograph, saying only that she slipped at an exposed point while holidaying with her family. Forcella Pordoi lies in the Sella mountain group and is surrounded by the dramatic rock faces for which the UNESCO-listed Dolomites are famous. Michelle worked in communications, marketing and business development and had professional links to the Miami area. She was also reported to have attended Brigham Young University between 2008 and 2012 and participated in volunteering projects. ENDS EDITOR'S NOTE: Fair Dealing / Fair Use: In limited cases, Jam Press may distribute material under fair dealing/fair use principles for legitimate editorial reporting purposes. Jam Press accepts responsibility for licensed editorial publisher usage only. Any additional client usage, including use across owned social media channels, commercial marketing or non-editorial purposes, remains the responsibility of the client.

She went on to work in communications, marketing and business development.

In 2025, Leiva worked remotely in Rome in consulting and participated in volunteer work, including supporting young people and disadvantaged communities.

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