Elisa Arlian and Jean Daniel Pession, a 28-year-old World Cup team member and skiing instructor at the Antagnod Ski School in northern Italy, tragically died in a mountain accident in northwest Italy. The Italian Winter Sports Federation confirmed this devastating news and expressed their condolences to the Pession family for this tragic misfortune.
According to Italian public broadcaster RAI, Pession and Arlian fell 700 meters from the summit of Mount Zerbion above Champoluc in the Aosta Valley region. The couple had set out on a familiar route when the accident happened. Family members called the rescue center after they did not return home, prompting helicopters to be deployed immediately.
Rescuers found the couple’s bodies tied together after an hours-long search. It took hours for them to locate Pession and Arlian due to the lack of visible signs on the rocks to suggest where they had fallen. Eventually, they were found using their cellphone signals. Pession had finished 15th in the 2021 World Cup standings for speed skiing and was in the top 25 at the 2022 World Championships in Vars. The Antagnod Ski School mentioned on Instagram that the funerals of Pession and Arlian were held on Tuesday.
