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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Leiva was born in Guatemala and graduated from Brigham Young University, a private research institution, in Provo, Utah, in 2012.

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.