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HomeEventsTragedy in the Alps: Avalanche Claims Three Lives, Including Rolex Cup-Winning Sailor...

Tragedy in the Alps: Avalanche Claims Three Lives, Including Rolex Cup-Winning Sailor Matteo Auguadro

An avalanche on the eastern ridge of Punta Valgrande in the Lepontine Alps has claimed the lives of three ski mountaineers, including Matteo Auguadro, a celebrated sailor and winner of the 2022 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. The tragedy occurred on Sunday, January 12, shortly after midday, at an elevation of 2,856 meters.

Auguadro, 48, along with Enzo Bonini and Matteo Lomazzi, was ascending the mountain with crampons alongside two friends. The group planned to descend on skis later. While following a trail used by other mountaineers, a massive snow slab broke away, sweeping Auguadro, Bonini, and Lomazzi 400 meters down the slope.

Matteo Lomazzi, Enzo Bonini, and Matteo Auguadro were the three mountaineers who tragically lost their lives in an avalanche on the eastern ridge of Punta Valgrande in the Lepontine Alps

Despite immediate rescue efforts by the two survivors and other witnesses, who began digging through the snow, the avalanche proved fatal for the three men. Helicopters from Azienda Zero Piemonte, Alpine Rescue technicians, and the financial police arrived quickly on the scene. Tragically, attempts to revive the victims were unsuccessful, as they succumbed to trauma sustained during the fall.

The survivors were transported to the hospital with minor injuries but remain in shock.

The area, located on the border between Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province and Switzerland, was under a level 3 avalanche risk alert, according to the Arpa bulletin. “At more than two thousand meters, this terrain is strictly off-piste. It is challenging and dangerous,” said Geremia Magliocco, mayor of Trasquera.

Matteo Auguadro was not only an experienced ski mountaineer but also a renowned figure in the sailing world. As a bowman, he secured the world title in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo in September 2022. He was also part of the Mascalzone Latino crew from 2004 to 2007. Auguadro leaves behind a wife and two children.

This tragic loss is a sobering reminder of the risks posed by the mountains, even for seasoned adventurers.

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