A World Cup Skier and his girlfriend have died after falling 2,300 feet in Italy following a mountain accident.
Skiing star Jean Daniel Pession, 28, and his girlfriend Elisa Arlian, 26, have both died after falling from Mount Zerbion, a popular Alpine spot for skiers in the Aosta Valley.
A rescue team was sent to search for the pair after they set off on a hike, but they failed to return home.
Arlian was a ski instructor and teacher, a sport the couple clearly shared a passion for.
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After their families contacted the authorities with concern, firefighters and helicopters were sent out to look for them.
The search team located the couple using a signal from one of their phones.
When they lowered themselves down towards the snow where they were, they found the couple still tied together but buried in the snow near the summit.
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Pession was in his sporting prime, previously finishing 15th in the World Cup.
In a statement to the public, the Italian Winter Sports Federation confirmed the tragic news, saying: “A terrible tragedy strikes the world of winter sports and speed skiing in particular.
“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.
“His girlfriend also died together with Pession.
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“Over the course of his career, the Aosta Valley native had achieved the best results in 2021, placing fifteenth 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 the Pession family for this tragic misfortune.”
A doctor has confirmed that the pair suffered ‘obvious fall injuries’, but it is currently unknown what caused the incident.
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Their funerals were expected to be held in their home villages this morning.
RAI, an Italian broadcasting station, reported: “They had set out early in the morning to reach a peak both knew well.
“They were almost at the summit, just a step away, when suddenly they were betrayed by the mountain they loved so much.
“When they were found, they were still tied together, like in a final embrace.”
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Alberto Bertin of Aosta Valley also expressed his condolences, saying: “Two young lives cut short by a mountain accident, that mountain which was their passion.
“In this moment of deep sadness, we express our closeness to the families, friends, and the entire sports community, embracing them with affection and compassion.”
Topics: World News, Sport
Mia Williams