A professional skier and his girlfriend have tragically lost their lives in a mountain accident in northern Italy. Jean Daniel Pession, a 28-year-old World Cup skier, and his girlfriend Elisa Arlian, 27, were both ski instructors and fell nearly 2,300 feet off Mount Zerbion in the Aosta Valley. The Italian Winter Sports Federation confirmed the heartbreaking incident in a statement on Saturday, June 1.
According to reports from RAI, Italy’s national public broadcasting company, the couple “fell into the void” before being buried by snow. Despite their tragic fate, they were found still tied together, as if in a final embrace, near the summit of the mountain they both loved so much. Rescuers were able to locate their lifeless bodies with the help of a signal from one of their cell phones, several hours after they were reported missing.
The two young individuals had set out early in the morning to ascend a peak they were familiar with. When their families realized they hadn’t returned, they contacted the emergency center, prompting a swift helicopter operation. Technicians, using a winch, discovered Pession and Arlian still connected to each other when they descended.
The Aosta Valley community has been offering their condolences to the families of the deceased. Aosta Valley’s Regional Council President, Alberto Bertin, expressed his sympathy, saying, “Two young lives cut short by a mountain accident, that mountain which was their passion… Our thoughts are with their families, friends, and the entire sports community, and we embrace them with affection and compassion.”
The Italian Winter Sports Federation extended their condolences to the families for this tragic misfortune. As investigations into the accident continue, the skiing community mourns the loss of two talented individuals, taken too soon by the sport they loved.