US Tourist Impaled at Rome's Colosseum

An American tourist was impaled on a fence around Rome's Colosseum on Friday and left hanging for 20 minutes, according to reports. The 47-year-old US man living in Taiwan was vacationing with friends and family when he tried to climb over the metal fence in the large square in front of the Colosseum, possibly to get a better view, per the New York Post. He was instead impaled in the spine and screamed in pain until losing consciousness.

Bystanders who witnessed the horrifying incident called police, who reportedly worked for more than 20 minutes to remove the man from the fence, Fox News reports. The tourist was then rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. More than 80 stitches were needed to close the wound in his lower back, according to Italian media. The man was questioned by police on Sunday, per the Post. (More Colosseum stories.)