Tragic incident: Italian skier passes away with girlfriend in mountain mishap
A devastating incident affected the realm of winter sports and speed skiing in particular. The federation made an announcement in a June 1 message.
A devastating mountain accident happened near Champoluc (Aosta), resulting in the death of Jean Daniel Pession, a 28-year-old competitor in the World Cup team. Along with him, his 26-year-old girlfriend, who was another skiing instructor, also lost her life. The federation extended their condolences to the Pession family for this devastating outcome.
Jean Daniel Pession was a valued instructor at the Antagnod Ski School located in northern Italy. The school posted a tribute on Instagram, announcing that the funeral for Pession and his girlfriend was on Tuesday.
Following a series of unfortunate events, rescuers located the couple, still intertwined, after a long search in the mountains. Italian public television, RAI, shared details of this accident.
RAI revealed that the pair fell about 2,300 feet from the summit of Mount Zerbion, which is in the Aosta Valley region, and above the resort village of Champoluc. They were following a familiar route when they skied off the side of the mountain.
RAI reported that worried family members called the rescue center after they didn't return home. Helicopters were immediately sent to the search area.
Despite the challenging terrain, the rescue operation took several hours. It was difficult for the rescuers to locate them, and there were no visible signs that could help identify where they had fallen.
Eventually, they used the couple's cell phone signals to track them down.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) stated that Pession barely missed making it into the top 20 in the 2021 World Cup standings for speed skiing. He also finished in the top 25 at the 2022 World Championships in Vars.
Read also:
The tragic mountain mishap involving Jean Daniel Pession and his girlfriend garnered widespread attention in the skiing community. The funeral for both individuals was scheduled on Tuesday, as the Antagnod Ski School paid tribute to Pession on their Instagram account.
