Rialto bridge, Venice
Scaffoldings are seen during the restoration of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal in Venice lagoon April 15, 2015. The ancient Venetian bridge, which has more than 20 million tourists walking on it annually, will be closed partially until the end of the restoration work, Venetian authorities say. Reuters/Manuel Silvestri

The mayor of Venice, Italy, is threatening to discipline unruly tourists with an overnight stay at the city jail after a drunk Kiwi traveller jumped off the famous Rialto Bridge and fell on an oncoming water taxi Friday midnight.

Luigi Brugnaro took to social media his frustration over the news of the misbehaved tourist, who sustained injuries from fractures and severe trauma due to the accident over the weekend.

The mayor of the World Heritage site warned tourists, saying he would insist on introducing special powers to discipline rowdy behaviour.

“I insist: special powers to the city to public policy. Pickpockets, spammers here, drunk! A night (in the) cell,” he announced on Twitter.

The unidentified tourist was reportedly a 49-year-old New Zealander who works on a yacht visiting Venice. Local police claimed that he was in a “serious but stable condition” but hospital tests confirmed that the Kiwi tourist was “under the effect of alcohol or drugs.”

Aside from injuring himself, the unnamed Kiwi tourist also hurt the water taxi driver and smashed the boat’s windshield. He is facing charges of endangering public transport, despite reports that his yacht is due to leave Monday.

A protected World Heritage site, Venice is home to at least 260,000 inhabitants across a group 117 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. At least 2 million tourists visit Venice annually.

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges that cross Venice’s Grand Canal. Constructed in 1591, it is one of the city’s most visited spots. It is undergoing cleaning and restoration.

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