An American tourist sustained minor injuries after he fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius as he scrambled to retrieve his smartphone, The Guardian reported.

The 23-year-old and his family reached the 1,281m-high summit of the volcano towering over the southern Italian city of Naples after bypassing a visitor turnstile and proceeding along an out-of-bounds path.

The man was taking a selfie, according to local press reports, when his phone slipped out of his hand and into the mouth of the volcano. He then descended into the crater in an attempt to get his phone back, only to fall several meters after losing his balance.

Vesuvius guides were first on the scene and abseiled into the crater to pull him out. Police attended the scene and a mountain rescue helicopter was launched to assist the rescue operation.

The man was treated for cuts and bruises on his arms and back.

The tourist and his three relatives face charges after being reported by police for the invasion of public land. The group, which reportedly ventured to the volcano without any tickets, took a path that was clearly signposted as being forbidden due to being extremely dangerous.