English Tourist Faces €14,000 Rescue Bill After Ignoring Trail Closures in the Italian Dolomites

A 60-year-old British hiker is facing a €14,225 bill after ignoring trail closures and becoming stranded in a dangerous area of the Italian Dolomites last Thursday, July 31. The incident occurred on the Berti Ferrata in the Croda Marcora zone, which is located around 11 miles from the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski resort. The hiker had ventured out onto the Berti Ferrata trail, which is closed in both directions, from Cortina as well as from San Vito di Cadore. The hiker persisted despite several clear safety warnings and closure orders posted along the trail. The 60-year-old man had set out in the morning from Passo Tre Croci and called emergency services around 3:30 p.m. when he found himself stuck on the ferrata due to rockfall.

• Related: Overtourism in South Tyrol, Italy, is Sparking Drastic Consequences

The rescue, coordinated by Italy’s Ulss 1 Dolomiti health authority, involved a complex operation with high costs and significant risk to emergency crews due to incoming bad weather and persistent rockfall. The most expensive component was a 93-minute helicopter flight, which alone cost €11,160 before VAT. Additional charges included €200 for activating the Alpine Rescue team and €50 per hour of intervention, capped at €700.

To determine the best rescue strategy, the exact location of the hiker needed to be identified. This required waiting for the weather to clear and for the clouds to lift. The Falco 2 helicopter arrived for a potential reconnaissance flight and landed while on standby, but was later diverted to another mission. Once visibility improved, the San Vito di Cadore Alpine Rescue team confirmed that the hiker was located in the middle of the landslide zone, at an altitude of 2,400 meterss.

A team of three Alpine Rescue technicians from CNSAS Veneto was prepared for possible high-altitude transport. A second helicopter, Leone, was dispatched from Treviso and took off immediately, making use of the clear skies to conduct a reconnaissance. At around 5:30 p.m., the crew reached the area and, in a swift and precise operation, recovered the hiker by lowering a rescue technician approximately 20 meters with a winch. The technician quickly secured the man, and the helicopter immediately lifted off.

The hiker was transported to base camp and handed over to the rescue personnel.

“This rescue is unfortunately a typical case,” Giuseppe Dal Ben said, commissioner of Ulss 1 Dolomiti. “Despite numerous warnings and clearly visible signs alluding to the danger, the hiker’s decision to continue forced the mobilization of helicopters, mountain rescue teams, and emergency services—all of which could have been avoided.”

Accordig to CNSAS Veneto, this is not an isolated case. Less than two weeks ago, on July 19, two Belgian hikers were rescued from the same area under similar circumstances. Officials stress that such operations endanger emergency personnel and place an unnecessary financial burden on public services. Dal Ben urged greater respect for the mountains and the rules designed to protect both visitors and rescuers. “Freedom in the mountains must not become irresponsibility,” he said. “Ignoring closures is not only dangerous — it can also come with a very real financial cost.”

• Related: Italiam Mountain Rescue Teams are at the Limit as Deaths & Rescues Surge Over Summer

Local officials are using the case to send a clear message: those who put themselves and others at risk by flouting safety measures may be held accountable for the full cost of their rescue. The recent case adds fuel to recent conflicts between locals and tourists, who have flocked to the Italian Alps in droves, causing frustration and overcrowding in many small Alpine villages. The number of rescues have hit an all-time-high and are up 20% year-on-year, causing exhaustion with rescue crews. So far this summer, an average of three people have died each day, marking a new record. “Too many are treating serious alpine trails with the same casual mindset they’d bring to a stroll in a city park,” Maurizio Dellantonio, head of CNSAS said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera—as this recent case exemplifies.