The bodies of two Italian climbers were found on Italy’s Gran Sasso massif five days after they had disappeared during an excursion, according to AP News.
Rescue teams backed by a helicopter managed on Friday to reach the central Abruzzo region where the two men, Luca Perazzini, 42, and Cristian Gualdi, 48, went missing. However, unfavourable weather conditions, strong winds and a high risk of avalanches complicated the operation.
The climbers were ascending Gran Sasso on Sunday when they slipped in a gorge and lost visual contact with each other, according to local media. One of them managed to call emergency services.
The rescuers endured a severe storm and had to spend two nights in a shelter at an altitude of 2,100 metres due to high winds and snowfall. Despite the GPS coordinates provided at the time of the tragedy, there were no obvious signs of the men in the specified area.
