An American tourist plunged nearly 1,000 feet to her death in Italy after straying from a safe mountain trail to take a photo, according to local reports.
Michaelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva, 36, from Florida, was believed to have left the marked route to reach a scenic spot in the Dolomites in northern Italy when she fell in the tragic incident last Saturday, Italian media Corriere della Sera reported.
The communications manager was with her family near Forcella Pordoi, above Canazei, when she lost her footing, falling 980 feet from an exposed part of the mountain, according to local reports.
The group was heading to a cable car station to take them up to a famous panoramic restaurant at the top of Sass Pordoi when the accident happened, il Dolomiti reported.
The pass is easily accessible by cable car, but difficult to navigate due to its slope and loose gravel, making it more difficult to maintain balance, according to reports in Italy.
Her horrified sister raised the alarm and emergency services were dispatched, but Leiva was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 12.30pm on Saturday.
The family was part of a tourist group exploring the mountains some 9,000 feet above sea level when tragedy struck.
Leiva’s relatives were flown to Canazei, where his body was later transported after the recovery mission.
Forcella Pordoi, part of the Sella mountain group, is surrounded by spectacular rock faces that make the UNESCO-listed Dolomites such a popular tourist attraction.
Leiva, born in Guatemala, graduated from Brigham Young University and most recently worked at a company in Miami, Corriere della Sera reported.
She had also worked in several volunteer projects.
In 2025, Leiva moved to Rome to work as a digital nomad in consulting, although it was not immediately clear whether she was still living in Italy at the time of the tragic accident.
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