The bodies of two friends have been recovered after they were killed by an avalanche.
Adventure-loving Giorgia Rota and Alessandro Aresi were climbing a mountain on Saturday (17 May) when they were hit by a torrent of snow.
The pair had set off at dawn from the Täschhütte mountain cabin in Täsch, north-east of Zermatt, Switzerland.
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They were on their way to the 4,206-m-high summit of Alphubel mountain when disaster struck.
Their bodies were recovered by authorities and their loved ones were informed about the tragedy on Sunday (18 May).
Giorgia, 29, was from Cesano Maderno – north of Milan, Italy – and worked as a lab chemist.
She was passionate about travel, mountain sports, and scuba diving, as reported by Need To Know.
She is survived by her parents, who travelled to Switzerland to identify her body and arrange for its repatriation as soon as they received the news.
Alessandro, 30, was from Lacchiarella, south of Milan.
He too was a sports and adventure lover, having cycled solo through Portugal in 2024.
He was also passionate about filmmaking and had his own agricultural video production company.
Giorgia and Alessandro were friends and had been together for a week prior to their deaths.
A photo posted by Giorgia on 10 May showed her in ski gear on Italy’s Pizzo Cassandra mountain.
She had written: “Photo by Alessandro, amazing partner for an epic climb (and a thrilling glacier descent).”
Cesano Maderno mayor Gianpiero Bocca said: “My heart and support go out to Giorgia’s family in this moment of profound grief over a senseless loss.”
And Lacchiarella mayor Antonella Violi said: “The municipal administration stands closely, with deep affection, alongside the families of Alessandro and Giorgia.
“Those who were will never be forgotten. Their sudden and swift deaths have left a profound void in the hearts of those who loved them.
“But love is stronger than death.”
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