Roman Colosseum Tourist Impaled on Spiked Fence While Trying to Get a Photo
A 47-year-old American man was brutally impaled on a spiked metal fence at the Colosseum in Rome while scaling the barrier in an attempt to get a photo.
As Italian outlet Open Online reports, the American tourist, who lives in Taiwan, tried to climb a fence near the Colosseum around 5 PM local time on Friday, May 2. During his attempt, the man was pierced by the metal tip of the railing and was unable to break free.
Il Messaggero reports that the man was hanging from the fence for more than 20 minutes before rescue and medical personnel arrived. The metal tip of the fence reportedly pierced the man’s spine.
When paramedics arrived at the scene, they administered a sedative to the man so they could safely remove him from the metal spike. Upon his removal, he lost a significant amount of blood, horrifying dozens of onlookers.
“It was terrible,” an eyewitness explained. “I saw that man implied on a railing and he couldn’t free himself.”
Following his extrication, the American man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he received surgery and received more than 80 stitches. The individual was reportedly visiting Rome for a few days with family and friends.
To add insult to injury, the 47-year-old man was questioned by authorities over the weekend. As People reports, the impaled man could face various penalties, including tampering with a historical landmark, which can carry hefty fines and even years of jail time.
Unfortunately, tourists getting injured while trying to take photos is not unusual. Just this year, a tourist fell 2,000 feet to his death while trying to take photos at a Bulgarian ski resort. A tourist also died while leaning out of a moving train to take a selfie in Sri Lanka.
Last year, another tourist died while leaning out of a moving train to take photos and another died after falling down a waterfall while trying to capture a selfie with his girlfriend.
PetaPixel reported in 2024 that the most lethal activity at the famed Grand Canyon National Park was, perhaps unsurprisingly, photography.
Hopefully, the man impaled in Rome last week will make a full recovery, but there is no question that enthusiastic travelers must be much more careful.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
