If some place says 'no access' sign then there is an obvious reason why it is prohibited. But this British family thought otherwise and suffered after one of their family members fell into a crater and a helicopter was arranged to ensure a safe rescue.
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A 23-year-old tourist who fell into a crater of Mount Vesuvius has shown his injuries.
There is always a temptation to do the forbidden but one should know that following this path always comes with its own consequences. The same happened to this man when he took a misstep in one of the world's scariest volcanoes.
Literally, because shortly after going down that pathway, with firmly plotted 'no access' signs, Philip Carroll fell into a crater.
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Well, there is an obvious reason to why a 'no entry' sign is put on undesignated routes through the volcano that left Pompeii an ashen wasteland.
So, how did Philip, from Maryland, fall in? And why was he there in the first place? Well, Philip and his family were holidaying in Italy when they fancied a little sightseeing.
Guide Vulcanologiche Vesuvio
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For Philip's family, their idea of a vacation place was a volcano. Each to their own.
Once they arrived at the lava-filled mass mountain, the family decided to take the road less traveled, which was heavily advised against.
Wanting to take a selfie of their escapades, Philip took out his camera, only to drop it and fall into a hot crater, trying to pick it up.
Alamy/Guide Vulcanologiche Vesuvio
Guides that were close by, the ones on the proper route, had to abseil down to get him and we're beginning to see why most of the world aren't fans of British tourists.
In fact, a helicopter was arranged for the rescue.
Pictures were eventually shared of Philip's injuries, which were thankfully pretty minor but saw cuts and bruises climbing across his torso.
Paolo Cappelli the president of the Presidio Permanente Vesuvio, a base at the top of Vesuvius where guides work, spoke to NBC about the incident.
"This family took another trail, closed to tourists, even if there was a small gate and 'no access' signs."
Once reaching the top, Philip tried to take a selfie and dropped his phone and so in an attempt to recover it, he slipped and slid a few meters into the crater'. He managed to stop his fall, but at that point he was stuck.
"He was very lucky. If he kept going, he would have plunged 300 meters into the crater," Cappelli added.
And just in case anyone else needs reminding, if it says 'no access' there's usually a reason, especially for a volcano.
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