Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva: Fatal Hiking Fall Near Forcella Pordoi, Italy, Reported October 24, 2026

Michelle Alejandra Rubio Leiva, a 36-year-old Florida resident, died after falling from a mountainside near Forcella Pordoi in Italy’s Dolomites. The fatal hiking accident in the Val di Fassa area of Trentino was reported on October 24, 2026.

Rubio Leiva was vacationing with relatives in northeastern Italy. Accounts of the accident describe her and her sister leaving a hiking trail to take a photograph near steep terrain. Rubio Leiva reportedly slipped and fell into a canyon. Her sister witnessed the fall and called emergency services.

Mountain rescue specialists and a helicopter were dispatched. A rescuer who was already nearby helped crews identify the location by providing coordinates. Medical personnel reached Rubio Leiva by helicopter, and a doctor confirmed her death at the scene.

The medical team’s arrival was reported at about 12:30 p.m. local time. Rubio Leiva’s relatives were flown to Canazei while rescuers carried out the recovery operation, which reportedly concluded around 2:30 p.m.

The family had planned to take a cable car to Rifugio Maria. The accident occurred near Forcella Pordoi, within the Sella group of the Dolomites. Rescue officials have described the wider hiking area as having steep slopes, loose gravel and falling rocks, but those general conditions do not establish the cause of this fall.

Rubio Leiva was a U.S. citizen who was born in Guatemala and lived in Florida. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 2012 and had worked in communications, marketing, consulting and business development. Her background also included volunteer work supporting young people and underserved communities. In Miami, she and her mother had prepared food, water and snack bags for people in need.