Sunday, December 22, 2024

Young skiing couple fall 700 metres to their death

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World Cup Italian snow skiier Daniel Pession and his girlfriend Elisa Arlian have fallen more than 700 metres off a mountain to their death.

Pession was just 28, while Arlian was 27.

The Italian Winter Sports Federation shared the news in a devastating statement.

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“A terrible tragedy strikes the world of winter sports and speed skiing in particular,” it reads.

“Jean Daniel Pession, a 28-year-old member of the World Cup team, lost his life in a tragic mountain accident that occurred above Champoluc (Ao). His girlfriend also died together with Pession.

“Over the course of his career, the Aosta Valley native had achieved his best results in 2021, placing 15th in the final World Cup ranking, while at the World Championships he came 22nd in Vars in 2022.

“President Flavio Roda and the entire Federation express their condolences to Pession family for this tragic misfortune.”

The couple were reported as missing by their families.The couple were reported as missing by their families.
The couple were reported as missing by their families. Credit: Instagram

Italy’s state-owned TV channel Rai 3 said the two ski instructors “fell into the void” before being buried deep in the snow.

“They were almost at the summit, just a step away, when suddenly they were betrayed by the mountain they loved so much,” Rai said in Italian.

“When they were found, they were still tied together, like in a final embrace.”

It’s understood a signal from one of their phones helped responders discover their bodies, hours after their families had reported them missing.

“They had set out early in the morning to reach a peak both knew well,” Rai added.

“When their families didn’t see them return, they called the emergency center, which immediately activated the helicopters.

“When the technicians lowered themselves with the winch, they found them still tied together.”

Three helicopters, mountain rescue police and firefighters were all deployed to search for the missing couple.

After Pession achieved his career-high world ranking, he remained an active member of the Italian World Cup team.

Arlian was a cross-country ski teacher as well as a primary school teacher.

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