A tragic accident occurred in Italy where World Cup skier Jean Daniel Pession and his girlfriend Elisa Arlian fell about 2,300ft to their deaths on Mount Zerbion. The couple had gone out early in the morning to reach a peak they were familiar with, but when they didn’t return, their family alerted rescuers.
The search involved teams from alpine rescue, police, and firefighters, as helicopters were sent out to locate them. It took hours for rescuers to find them, using their cellphone signal to pinpoint their location. They were discovered tied together, a common practice for mountain climbers.
Pession was a member of the Italian national speed skiing team, while Arlian was a ski instructor and school teacher. The Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) released a statement expressing sadness over the tragic accident. Aosta Valley’s regional council president shared his condolences, stating it was a heartbreaking loss of two young lives who shared a passion for the mountains. Pession had achieved success in his skiing career, ranking 15th in the World Cup in 2021 and finishing 22nd in the 2022 World Championships.