American tourist dies after falling from exposed Dolomites mountainside in Italy
American tourist Michaelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva, 36, died after falling about 980 feet from an exposed mountainside in Italy’s Dolomites. She was trekking with relatives near Forcella Pordoi when she reportedly left the marked path to reach a viewpoint, highlighting the risks of straying onto steep, loose terrain.
Her sister alerted emergency services, and a nearby mountain rescuer helped guide an air ambulance to the site. Medical personnel were lowered onto the mountainside, but Leiva was pronounced dead there; her family was airlifted to Canazei as teams recovered her body. The group had been walking at roughly 9,000 feet towards a cable car station for Sass Pordoi. Leiva, who was born in Guatemala and worked in communications and consulting, moved to Rome in 2025.
In short
- A 36-year-old American tourist died after a fall in the Dolomites.
- She reportedly left a marked trail to reach a viewpoint.
- Rescuers airlifted her relatives and recovered her body.
Explained simply
The Dolomites are a mountain range in northern Italy, popular with walkers and climbers for their dramatic peaks and marked trails. Forcella Pordoi is a high mountain pass near Sass Pordoi, where a cable car carries visitors towards a viewpoint.
At high altitude, paths can run close to steep slopes, and ground beyond a marked route may be loose or difficult to cross. Mountain rescue teams in the region use specialist crews and aircraft to reach people in places that are hard to access on foot.
Michaelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva was an American citizen born in Guatemala who had moved to Rome. Her death has drawn attention to the hazards walkers can face when leaving established mountain paths.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Florida woman, 36, falls 1,000 feet to her death in Italy after stepping off path to take photo of the majestic Dolomites mountain range”.