The bodies of two mountaineers
who fell to their deaths last night during a climb on the
southern face of the Matterhorn (Italian: Monte Cervino) were
recovered early on Friday.
Alpine guides society president Gerard Ottavio, 40, and ski
instructor Joel Déanoz, 36, had set off last night and the alarm
was raised when they failed to return from their excursion.
The son of an Alpine guide, Deanoz was the director of the
Breuil-Cervinia ski school and was training to qualify as a
professional guide in order to follow in his father's footsteps.
An Alpine Rescue helicopter located and recovered their
bodies this morning.
The two hailed from the mountain town of Valtournanche in
Italy's northwestern Aosta Valley region. "We feel betrayed by
the Cervino, a mountain we deeply love," said Valtournanche
Mayor Debora Camaschella.
"We're struggling to accept the loss of these two of our
brightest sons, who embodied all the beautiful values of sport
and of mountaineering".
She added something "unexpected" must have happened because
they were both experienced and would not have heedlessly risked
their lives.
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