Monte Zerbion, Italy, a beautiful mountain in the Alps, towering above the resort village of Champoluc in Italy’s Aosta Valley region, became the site of a tragedy when World Cup skier Jean Daniel Pession, 28, and his girlfriend, Elisa Arlian, 27, met their untimely deaths. The couple, both ardent mountain sports enthusiasts, plummeted about 2,300 feet in what authorities have described as an accident. The Italian Winter Sports Federation confirmed their deaths in a statement on Saturday, June 1.
Pession, a celebrated member of the Italian national speed skiing team, and Arlian, a ski instructor and school teacher, embarked on an early morning ascent of a familiar peak. Their failure to return at the designated time prompted a concerned family to call for a search. What followed was an extensive rescue operation involving helicopters and ground teams comprising alpine rescuers, police, and firefighters.
The rescue operation was fraught with challenges, notably the absence of any visible indications on the rocky surface to suggest where the couple might have fallen. It took hours before the rescue teams, guided by the couple’s mobile phone signals, discovered them. They were found still bound together by their safety ropes—a common precaution in mountain scaling that sadly highlighted the grave risks of their endeavor.
Alberto Bertin, the Regional Council president of Aosta Valley, conveyed deep sorrow over the incident, lamenting the loss of two vibrant young lives to the mountain they so loved. His statement captured the profound sadness felt by the community, “Two young lives destroyed by an accident on that mountain, which was their passion.”
Pession is remembered for his competitive spirit and notable achievements in the skiing world, including a 15th-place finish in the 2021 World Cup final rankings, and 22nd place at the 2022 World Championships in speed skiing.
The news of their deaths has sent shockwaves through the community, with many expressing their grief on social media and Pession’s Instagram. Comments reflect a mix of heartache and disbelief, with one user writing, “This is so sad. Rest in peace. May God bring peace to your home and hearts.” Another simply said, “There are no words or consolations in the face of this tragedy. Rest in peace.”
The Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) described the incident as a severe blow to the winter sports and speed skiing communities.
Investigations into the exact circumstances of the fall are ongoing.