On July 31, a 60-year-old British hiker was rescued in Italy’s Dolomites after ignoring warning signs about potential rockslides. The incident happened at around 2,400m near San Vito di Cadore on the Ferrata Berti trail.
The hiker set off alone, despite signs in English and Italian marking the path as closed due to landslide danger. At around 3:30 pm, he called emergency services after falling rocks trapped him. Two helicopters and a team of three alpine rescuers flew out and had extracted him by 5:30 pm.
Warning sign in the Dolomites. Photo: Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Veneto CNSAS/Facebook
$16,500, please
Then came a surprise for the unnamed hiker. The operation cost $16,500 (14,225 €), and he was billed for it. Nicola Cherubin, head of the San Vito di Cadore alpine rescue, said the hiker claimed he didn’t see the signs, but rockfalls had been frequent in the area for two months, according to The Guardian.
A similar incident occurred on July 19, when two Belgian hikers were rescued from the same trail under comparable circumstances. They also ignored closure signs and were trapped by rockfall. Like the British hiker, they required a helicopter rescue, but as EU citizens, they were charged significantly less — only a few hundred Euros, according to multiple sources. This disparity stems from EU agreements that allow the citizens of member states to access rescue services at reduced or no cost. Meanwhile, non-EU nationals, like the British hiker, face full charges without insurance.
Italian authorities urge hikers to respect closures to avoid dangerous rescues and high costs.
The Dolomites, as well as several other areas of the Alps, have had significantly more rockfalls lately because of extreme heat and erosion. A June heat wave, with temperatures above zero even at Mont Blanc’s summit, led to path closures to protect hikers.
Some of the closed hiking zones in the Dolomites. Photo: Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Veneto CNSAS/Facebook
