Paths were closed in Italy's famous Dolomites mountain range, which is increasingly popular with hikers, after a series of recent rockslides led to the evacuation of hundreds of people.
Italian authorities put up signs in Italian and English warning that the paths were off limits but one British hiker either ignored them or didn't see them, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The 60-year-old set off alone from the Passo Tre Croci on Thursday morning but found himself caught in the middle of another rockfall on a rocky mountain trail near San Vito di Cadore, at an altitude of 2,500 meters.
The worried British hiker called emergency services, who then sent a helicopter to rescue him.
"He said he hadn't seen the signs warning of the danger," Nicola Cherubin, head of the Italian Alpine Rescue Service, told the Telegraph.
"Rockfalls have been occurring continuously in this area for two months. With these landslides, safety is compromised. He was very scared," he added.
Whilst he was apparently lucky to survive, his luck ran out once he was safely down the mountain.
Italian authorities billed the Briton €14,000 to cover the cost of the helicopter rescue.
The reason the bill was so high was due to the man's nationality, according to Italian rescue officials.
"If you come from a third country (non-EU country) and don't have insurance, you will have to pay more," a spokesperson for the national rescue services said, adding that the fine would have been a few hundred euros for an Italian or French national.
"If someone calls us because they're tired or stuck because they're somewhere they shouldn't be, or if they're unharmed and have no health problems, they'll have to pay," the spokesperson said.
Since the incident, new signs have been installed along the trail warning of rockfalls.
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