A schoolboy plunged more than 100ft to his death in front of his horrified friends when he climbed up a cliffside tree and a branch snapped.
Fabrizio Procaccini, 14, and his pals were on their way home after having a kickabout when the horror unfolded yesterday (14 Apr) evening.
They were walking along a wooded path above the lake when Fabrizio decided he wanted to climb up to the highest point.
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He scrambled up a tree overlooking the precipice as his seven friends, aged 14 to 16, joked around and took photos.
But as he neared the treetop, the branch he was on snapped, sending him sliding 100ft down a slope full of stones and dense vegetation.
His horrified pals immediately called for help.
Police officers and firefighters rushed to the scene and managed to retrieve Fabrizio using rescue ropes.
Emergency medics tried to resuscitate him, but his injuries were too severe and they eventually had to suspend their efforts.
His body was taken from the scene at Lake Nemi, Italy, to a hospital in Ariccia and then to a morgue in Rome.
Fabrizio lived in Ariccia and went to school in Velletri, as reported on Need to Know.
Local media described him as good, polite, and sunny-natured.
The path in question had been closed in 2014 due to the risk of landslides.
Since June 2023, it has been undergoing safety work.
Despite the bans, it was still widely used to reach the beaches of Lake Nemi.
The incident is under investigation.
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