Tourist ‘impaled himself on fence while attempting selfie’ in Rome’s Colosseum

Tourists (who were not involved in the incident) take selfies at the Colosseum in October (Picture: Getty)

An American tourist fell backwards onto a spike while trying to scale a fence at Rome’s Colosseum, according to Italian media.

The 47-year-old is thought to have been trying to get a better view and a more dramatic selfie at the iconic Roman site.

Horrified visitors, who raised the alarm, heard him screaming until he lost consciousness, Italian newspaper Il Messagero reported.

It took paramedics more than 20 minutes to get the man off the fence, after which he was taken to hospital.

‘It was a complex operation,’ a paramedic told the paper. ‘He was losing a lot of blood, and we had to work with extreme caution.’

Doctors managed to save him even though the spike pierced his spine and used 80 stitches to sew up his back afterawrds.

It’s not been confirmed exactly where the fence was located (Picture: Shutterstock)

He has since been brought into a serious but stable condition.

Carabinieri detectives have reportedly questioned the man and the friends and relatives he was travelling with, but weren’t able to confirm his motives for the climb.

The group had been in Rome for a few days prior the accident.

Italy’s Civil Protection Department and police force Polizia di Stato did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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