HORROR FALL

American Tourist, 36, Falls to Her Death Trying to Take a Picture

She strayed from the safe route while hiking across a mountain with her family.

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An American tourist plummeted to her death in the Dolomites, northern Italy, while hiking across a mountain with her family on Saturday. Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva, 36, a communications manager from Florida, strayed from a safe route attempting to take a photo at a scenic spot when she lost her footing and plunged almost 1,000 feet into the canyon below near Forcella Pordoi, above Canazei, the Italian outlet Corriere della Sera reported. When she fell, other members of her tour group were walking to a cable car station to take them up to a famous panoramic restaurant at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Her sister alerted authorities, and emergency services pronounced Leiva dead at the scene just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The recovery operation lasted several hours, and her body was airlifted to Canazei. The Italian Alpine Rescue unit told CNN that more than 80 people have died in the Dolomites so far this year.