Tragic Accident Leaves World Cup Ski Team Member and Girlfriend Dead on Monte Zerbion

In a tragic accident, two skiers, Jean Daniel Pession and Elisa Arlian, lost their lives while skiing down Monte Zerbion in the Alps. Pession, a 27-year-old World Cup competitor and member of the Italian national speed skiing team, and his girlfriend Arlian fell from a spot near the summit of the mountain while traversing a familiar route.

The circumstances that led to their deadly fall were unclear as both Pession and Arlian fell almost 2,300 feet from Monte Zerbion. Recovery crews took several hours to find the couple, who were still linked together by a safety rope mountaineers often use while climbing.

The Italian Winter Sports Federation expressed deep sorrow over the tragic accident, noting Pession’s impressive performance record at the World Cup. Local government officials in Aosta Valley, where the mountain is located and where Pession is from, mourned their deaths and offered condolences to the families of the couple.

President Flavio Roda and the entire Federation extended their sympathies to the Pession family in a statement. The Regional Council of the Aosta Valley also acknowledged Pession and Arlian’s deaths, describing it as a moment of profound sadness.