US tourist left 'impaled on Rome's Colosseum railings for 20 minutes' in horror accident
A man was impaled on the railing's surrounding Rome's Colosseum on Friday, with dozens of civilians watching on in horror.
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The man, a US tourist citizen living in Taiwan, has reportedly attempted to scale a fence at the Italian landmark.
He was taken to nearby San Giovanni hospital in a "code red" condition, according to local media.
The shocking incident occurred at around 5pm Friday afternoon in front of dozens of mortified onlookers.
He reportedly lost consciousness as paramedics scrambled to heave him from the fence in a frenzied operation that lasted more than 20 minutes.
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He was provided oxygen listed in serious but stable condition after he was stitched up.
The man reportedly needed over 80 stitches in total.
Some reports the man made the dangerous decision to scale the Roman monument's outer fence in an attempt to get a better view or take a selfie.
But his friends failed to offer an explanation as to why he took that decision when questioned, according to local outlet Il Messaggero.
In July 2023, a British tourist was caught carving graffiti into the brickwork of the Colosseum claiming he didn't know how old the wall was in a grovelling apology letter.
A video emerged online showing Ivan Dimitrov, 27, carving his name into the wall, as well as Hayley, his girlfriend's name into the walls of Rome's ancient Colosseum, sparking fury.
Italian officials vowed to find the vandal and punish him for the offence, which has landed culprits hefty fines in the past.
Mr Dimitrov has since issued a grovelling apology, claiming ignorance, MailOnline reports. He wrote: "Aware of the seriousness of the committed act, with these lines, I wish to address my most heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity.
"I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument.
"The council with dedication, care and sacrifice guards the inestimable historical and artistic value of the Colosseum."