The couple were found tied up by mountain rescue workers, a common occurrence for climbers.
Wednesday 5 June 2024 09:16, UK
A World Cup skier and his girlfriend have died after falling about 2,300 feet in the mountains in Italy, local media reported.
Jean-Daniel Pétion, 28, a member of the Italian national speed skiing team, and Elisa Arlien, 26, a ski instructor and school teacher, died in a “tragic accident in the mountains,” according to a news release from the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI).
The accident happened on Mount Zerbion, above the resort village of Champoluc in the Aosta Valley region.
According to Italian media outlet Rai, the couple had set out early in the morning to reach a mountain peak they both knew, but when they did not return their family contacted rescue teams.
A helicopter was quickly deployed, but the search took hours as there were no signs on the rocks indicating where the crash occurred.
Rescuers were able to pinpoint their location using cellphone signals and found the pair tied up, a common occurrence for climbers.
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Teams from mountain rescue teams, police and fire brigade units participated in the search, according to Rai News Agency.
Aosta Valley regional parliament president Alberto Bertin said it was a “moment of deep sadness.”
“Two young lives were taken in an accident in the mountains, a passion of theirs.”
Pétion finished 15th in the final 2021 World Cup rankings and 22nd in the speed skiing event at the 2022 World Championships.