Photo: PAT BATARD / AFP / Getty Images
A sightseeing trip in Italy's Dolomites turned tragic for Michaelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva, a 36-year-old tourist from Florida, who died after a 1,000-foot fall on Saturday (October 17), while trying to take a photo from a panoramic spot near Forcella Pordoi. She was exploring the mountain with her family when she stepped away from a marked path to capture the scenery and lost her footing, plunging nearly 1,000 feet down the exposed mountainside.
The incident occurred as Rubio Leiva and her family were making their way toward a cable car station leading to the summit restaurant on Sass Pordoi. The path in this area is steep, with loose gravel, making it difficult to maintain balance. Her family, including her sister, witnessed the fall and immediately called emergency services, but efforts to rescue her were unsuccessful.
Emergency response teams, including the Alta Val di Fassa team and an air ambulance, were dispatched after receiving a call from Rubio Leiva’s sister. A mountain rescuer already nearby was able to provide the precise coordinates to helicopter crews, and medical personnel arrived at the scene around 12:30 p.m. Despite rapid intervention, Rubio Leiva was pronounced dead at the site.
Rubio Leiva’s family was airlifted to Canazei following the incident, and her body was later transported from the mountain by helicopter. Local authorities reported that the fall took place at an altitude of about 9,000 feet above sea level and involved a descent of approximately 1,000 feet.