An Italian village has introduced fines to try and stop tourists taking dangerous selfies.
Vernazza, one of the five Cinque Terre villages, has increased measures to prohibit tourists from risking their lives when taking photos after a woman nearly died last week.
The village’s mayor, Marco Fenelli, 71, has given police the power to issue a €50 (£43) fine for those who break the rules.
He has also increased the number of patrols by the village’s six police officers, and blocked a jetty popular with tourists with a a thick rope.
The rocky area surrounding the jetty was already roped off, with other previous safety measures including warning signs and red flags during rough seas.
The beefed-up safety protocols come after a woman nearly died last week after she was swept into the sea while taking a selfie.
The 22-year-old woman from Italy’s Trentino region was with her friend, Federico Berber, when they climbed on to the jetty in Vernazza shortly after midday.
Berber, a 24-year-old wine producer from the town of Ora, near Bolzano, said: “It was a sunny day. The sea was a little rough, but the waves were low. There were plenty of people diving in to take a swim.
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An Italian coastal village has introduced fines to try to stop tourists from taking dangerous selfies
“We were along the jetty to take photos and then a wave arrived and she slipped into the water.”
Berber said she lost consciousness while he looked on helplessly as he cannot swim, and called for assistance.
Michela Basso, 52, who owns Ristorante Belforte which over looks the jetty, said: “He started shouting and I rushed over. I called the emergency services.”
An American chef from the restaurant, and two other locals, rushed to the scene to help.
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Accidents are increasingly common as tourists are unaccustomed to the dangers presented by the sea
The three jumped into the sea and dragged her onto a wall, where a diner from the restaurant revived her with CPR.
An emergency helicopter and ambulance soon arrived at the scene.
Basso said: “We didn’t think she would make it.
“She had her head under the water and had her head facing down, so it looked like it was too late.
“I was crying while I was on the phone to emergency services.”
Berber said the woman was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, having spent six nights there.
Basso said: “I’ve seen this too many times. Not everyone has made it.”
It is estimated that Cinque Terre is visited by four million tourists every year, and many are unaccustomed to the dangers presented by the sea, so accidents are increasingly common.
Fenelli said: “They go to the sea to take photos and selfies and every so often a big wave comes and drags them into the sea.
“This plan can be homicidal. We were obliged to do something.”
Other Cinque Terre villages like Riomaggiore and Monterosso are also said to be considering putting similar measures in place.
But Basso said she does not think the new rules will make much of a difference.
She said: “Visitors just waltz past. They aren’t aware of the danger.”
