A dad-of-two who loved extreme sports has tragically been killed in an avalanche while hiking in the mountains with his brother.
Inseparable siblings Alberto and Marco Franzoi were in the mountains when they were hit by the snowslide on Friday (15 Dec).
Marco, 36, was fortunately unharmed after the avalanche struck him in the legs and lifted him up – and raised the alarm shortly after 11.30 am.
Tragically, however, Alberto, 34, was buried under the snow.
Marco’s dad helped him stay calm over the phone as he managed to pull his brother from under 3 ft of snow packed “like a concrete wall”, according to his brother-in-law Erik.
A medic arrived on the scene in a helicopter and intubated Alberto about 3,000 metres below the Cima delle Pecore in the Fundres Mountains in South Tyrol, Italy.
He was taken to a hospital in Bolzano, where he tragically passed away later that day.
The brothers were from Rovereto but lived in Trento.
Alberto worked at the Trento Institute for Fundamental and Application Physics, where he specialised in microtechnology.
He was a keen runner and ski mountaineer.
The dad leaves behind two young children, as well as four nephews and nieces.
Erik told local media: “In the family, they have already experienced something similar.
“Their first cousin, about 10 years ago, died on Mont Blanc, falling into a crevasse.
“They are all passionate about extreme sports, and a tragedy was to be expected with these disciplines.
“Unfortunately, it can happen.
They have been doing these things since they were five years old, and the passion for sports is deeply rooted in the family.
“Regardless of the risk, Alberto would not have given it up.”
Erik, married to Alberto’s sister Claudia, said of his brother-in-law: “He was always smiling, a great person, and if you needed a hand, he was always there.”
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