Two Italian national speed skiing team members, Jean Daniel Pession (age 28) and Elisa Arlian (age 26), both ski instructors and school teachers, passed away “in a tragic mountain accident,” according to a press release from the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI).
In the Aosta Valley region, on Mount Zerbion, above the resort community of Champoluc, an accident occurred.
The pair had set out early in the morning to reach a top they were both familiar with, but when they did not return, their family notified rescuers, according to an Italian media station called Rai.
Although helicopters were dispatched right away, it took hours to find them because there were no clues on the rocks as to where they had fallen.
Rescuers discovered them roped together, as is typical for mountain climbers, after using their mobile signal to determine their location.
Teams from police, fire, and alpine rescue participated in the search, according to Rai.
Alberto Bertin, head of the regional council for the Aosta Valley, described it as a “moment of profound sadness.”.
“Two young lives destroyed by an accident on a mountain, that mountain which was their passion.”
Mr. Pession finished 22nd in the speed skiing competition at the 2022 World Championships and 15th in the overall World Cup standings for 2021.
