A dream trip to Italy became a terrifying ordeal for a Melbourne woman after she says two separate men tried to keep her from getting home. Stephanie had traveled through Europe with friends last October. When they left, the 36-year-old stayed behind to explore Italy on her own.
The executive was interested in Italy’s €1-house programs. According to the New York Post, these initiatives offer abandoned or badly damaged properties for as little as one euro. She was also attracted to kiteboarding in Lo Stagnone near Marsala in Sicily.
While staying there, Stephanie joined a gathering with fellow kiteboarders. What began as an ordinary night quickly became frightening after she accepted a ride from a European expat. The man drove away from the group and allegedly refused to let her leave. The influencer later detailed her kidnapping story on her Instagram and TikTok.
She escaped a moving car at a random gated compound and ran
Stephanie said that the man began speeding on narrow Sicilian roads. He reportedly said he wanted to see if the car could reach 160. Stephanie repeatedly begged him to stop and let her out. “I’m terrified. So I start pleading, begging.”
She eventually stopped speaking and secretly sent her location to her kiteboarding instructor. The passenger then asked whether everyone was returning to the driver’s home. The driver reportedly replied that nobody was coming. That made Stephanie realize the passenger also seemed unaware of what was happening.
After driving about seven miles, the car reached a gated compound. Stephanie checked the door and discovered it was unlocked. She immediately jumped out and ran. She hid behind an object to see if anyone followed her. Nobody did.
After running for about a mile or more, she reached a quiet town. There she found a security guard’s vehicle with warning lights. She explained what happened through a translation app. The guard agreed to take her back to her accommodation and called his boss. Her kidnapping is not the only case to take an unexpected turn, much like a Michigan teenager who was later rescued at a gas station.
But the journey soon became another nightmare. The guard pulled into an alley and used her phone to ask what she would do for driving her home. Stephanie handed him the phone. When the vehicle stopped, she ran through an open door and escaped into a vineyard.
She then walked toward her hotel while hiding whenever she saw distant headlights. She stopped at vending machines to buy drinks so the transactions could help establish her movements if needed. Eventually she reached her accommodation, where she said she cried through the next day. Other travelers have run into accommodation problems of their own; one Florida woman faced a similar scare with a rented home.
Her kiteboarding friends were reportedly beside themselves when they heard what happened. Stephanie said the experience left her deeply shaken and wanted other travelers to stay alert.
She stressed that she did not view the incident as an Italian issue. The first man was a European expat. She also noted that women can face serious dangers in Australia, stressing it wasn’t specific to Italy.
The experience has also changed her plans. Stephanie had hoped to buy a home in Italy and work on a renovation project. For now, she says she would only return for such a project if someone accompanied her.
Published: Aug 16, 2026 11:30 am