Climbing
Two Austrian mountaineers were found dead in the Italian Alps after being reported missing earlier this week. Their bodies were discovered dangling from their climbing ropes at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters (about 6,600 feet) on Cima di Riofreddo in the Julian Alps. The Italian emergency rescue service Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Friuli Venezia Giulia (CNSAS) confirmed the tragic discovery in a Facebook post.
The climbers, from Villach, Austria, were near the summit of the 2,507-meter (8,225-foot) peak when they fell. The exact cause of the fall remains unclear, with authorities suggesting it could have been due to human error or a rockslide. The mountaineers’ names have not been released.
Rescue operations were conducted using helicopters, but the bodies could not be recovered immediately due to safety concerns. A second mission at dawn successfully retrieved the climbers’ remains, which have been entrusted to local funeral homes.
This incident adds to a series of tragic events in the Italian Alps this summer, including the deaths of a World Cup skier and his girlfriend on Monte Zerbion in June.
