Professional skier Jean Daniel Pession and his partner, Elisa Arlian, tragically passed away in a skiing accident in northern Italy.
This news was confirmed in a statement by the Italian Winter Sports Federation on Saturday, June 1.
The couple fell approximately 2,300 feet on Mount Zerbion, according to Italy's national broadcaster RAI.
RAI reported that the 28-year-old Italian World Cup skier and 27-year-old Arlian, who were both ski instructors, "fell into the void" before being buried by snow.
A signal from their cell phone helped locate their "lifeless" bodies a few hours after they went missing, RAI noted.
"They had set out to reach a small height early in the morning, which they knew well," according to an English translation of an RAI report.
It further added, "When their families didn’t see them return, they called the emergency center, which immediately activated the helicopters. When the technicians lowered themselves with the winch, they found them still tied together."
Meanwhile, many people in the area have expressed their condolences to the couple's families, such as Aosta Valley President Renzo Testolin and Italian Winter Sports Federation President Flavio Roda.
"Two young lives cut short by a mountain accident, that mountain which was their passion," Aosta Valley’s Regional Council President Alberto Bertin said, according to RAI.
He further added, "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."
