A British walker who had to be saved during a walk in the Dolomites was presented with the bill. Because he had ignored a warning board along the way, the Italian mountain service service sent him a hefty invoice.

The 60-year-old Brit ventured on Thursday morning at Via Ferrata Berti, a rocky mountain path at about 2,500 meters in the Italian Dolomites. Due to the risk of landslides, however, that path was closed, something that was made clear with a fence and a sign with the text “closed” in Italian and English. However, the man ignored all warnings and decided to continue his way.

A decision that he would regret, because around 3.30 pm he raised the alarm after he was panicked by falling rocks. Not much later the rescue came in the form of a helicopter. “He stated that he did not know that the path was closed and that he had not seen the signs,” said Nicola Cherubin of the mountain service service.

The rescue campaign would eventually take 93 minutes. Due to the bad weather conditions, two helicopters and several staff members were deployed. “The man is lucky that he is still alive,” said Cherubin.

Also saved two Belgians

His adventure in the mountains (and the Brexit) would eventually yield the man a bill of 14,225 euros, 11,160 euros was intended for the costs for the rescue operation.

A few days earlier, two Belgian walkers had to be saved in similar conditions. Because Belgium is like Italy is a member of the European Union, they only received a fraction of the bill.

Giuseppe Dal Ben, Commissioner of the Local Health Authority Ulss 1, insisted on tourists to “approach the mountains with respect and caution”. “What happened to the British walker deserves some reflection,” he told local media. “Helicopters are essential for time -dependent rescue operations in harsh conditions. That is precisely why it is important that they are not used as a taxi, so that not only those who provide the help, but also those who actually need them are in danger.”

Brick

Stamping occurs regularly in the Dolomites, although it has increased considerably in the last two months, something that is due to the extreme heat. Erosion and rock trap have been increasing in the Alps for some time. At the end of June, Mont Blanc experienced another record hit wave, with temperatures that stayed above zero for a long time, even on top.

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