The bodies of two hikers on snowshoes have been recovered after a tragic avalanche in northern Italy. Around noon on Sunday, January 7, witnesses of the avalanche raised the alarm when they saw the hikers get carried away.
A helicopter with a rescue team including a dog was dispatched to the Val Formazza area in the Piedmont region near the Swiss border. The incident took place at an elevation of 7,200 feet. Despite strong winds, rescuers were able to find and recover the hikers, who were both already deceased. According to the Italian rescue organization CNSAS, one body was found under the snowdrift while another was found in a lake at the bottom of the slope.
The hiker’s identities have not yet been released, but it is known that one was a 30-year-old woman and the other was a 53-year-old man, both Italian nationals from the Lombardy region.
“They are two hikers who were on an outing with their dog.” rescuer Matteo Gasparini said. “Some witnesses saw the avalanche release and the people being swept away.”
