US Tourist Dies After Falling Nearly 1,000 Feet in Italian Dolomites
A Florida woman lost her footing on a steep, gravelly path while attempting to take a photograph, authorities reported.
An American tourist died after falling nearly 1,000 feet in the Italian Dolomites, according to local reports. The woman, identified as 36-year-old Michaelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva from Florida, reportedly stepped away from a marked mountain path to capture a photograph when she lost her footing.
The incident occurred on Saturday near Forcella Pordoi, above Canazei in northern Italy. Leiva was walking with her family toward a cable car station when the accident happened. She fell approximately 980 feet from an exposed section of the mountain.
Forcella Pordoi is accessible by cable car but is described as a difficult walking route due to its steepness and loose gravel, which can make maintaining footing challenging. Leiva's family alerted emergency services, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her relatives were airlifted to Canazei, and her body was recovered later.
Leiva, originally from Guatemala, graduated from Brigham Young University and most recently worked for a firm in Miami. She had also been involved in volunteer projects and had moved to Rome in 2025 to work as a digital nomad in consulting, though it was not immediately clear if she was still residing in Italy at the time of her death.
The Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are known for their dramatic rock faces and are a popular tourist destination. Leiva was at an elevation of about 9,000 feet above sea level when the accident occurred.