Two mountaineers dead on the Matterhorn

(ANSA) - Aosta, October 7 - 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.