'Together' even in death

WORLD Cup skier Jean Daniel Pession and his girlfriend Elisa Arlian passed away following a fatal 2,300 ft fall from a mountain in Italy, reported local media.

The 28-year-old skier was a member of the Italian national speed skiing team, while his 26-year-old girlfriend was a ski instructor and a school teacher.

In a release, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) termed the couple's death as a "tragic mountain accident".

The incident occurred on Mount Zerbion, located above the resort village of Champoluc in Italy's Aosta Valley region.

According to the Italian media outlet Rai, the couple had left early in the morning to reach the peak they both knew. However, when they failed to return, their family alerted the rescuers.

A rescue operation was launched immediately with helicopters sent for search to the peak. With no signs on the rocks to help located where the couple had fallen, the rescue team took hours to locate them.

The rescue team consisted of teams from alpine rescue, police and firefighters.

According to the report, rescuers used the mobile phone signal of the couple to trace their location. When they finally located the skiers, the rescue team found them tied together.

Tying each other together is a common practice among mountain scalers.

Expressing grief at the news, Aosta Valley's regional council president Alberto Bertin called it a "moment of profound sadness".

"Two young lives destroyed by an accident on a mountain, that mountain which was their passion," Bertin said.

In the 2021 final World Cup ranking, Pession was placed at the 15th ranking and had finished 22nd in the speed skiing competition at the 2022 World Championships.

Condolences poured in in comments on Pession's Instagram handle. 

“This is so sad. Rest in peace. May God bring peace to your family," one user commented. 

“There are no words or consolations in the face of this tragedy," another commented. 

“This is unbelievable. I can't believe it. Rest in peace," another added.