A 76-year-old British tourist has died of a heart attack in a churchyard after climbing up hundreds of steps to get to a clifftop hamlet loved by hikers in Italy.
The unnamed Brit collapsed after climbing the 842 steps up to the hamlet of San Rocco on Mount Portofino, in the north of Italy, on Tuesday.
Local media reported that emergency services were called after he collapsed in the hamlet’s churchyard.
They reportedly tried resuscitating him in front of hundreds of tourists in vain. Police were also alerted of the incident.
It is not currently known whether the tourist’s next of kin have yet been informed of his death.
It is understood the as-yet-unnamed tourist walked from nearby Camogli to San Rocco on the Via San Rocco, a paved walk that is less than a mile long, and has a max elevation of 660ft.
According to Hiker Project, a hike rating platform, the last third of the hike is particularly difficult, with gradients of up to 22 degrees.
The hike is listed as ‘intermediate’ on Hiker Project. San Rocco is popular with hikers, who often start at the village before walking through the area.
It sits roughly 980ft above sea level, and offers elevated views of the Ligurian Sea.
