Two American Skiers Rescued Near Olympic Venue
Two American skiers were rescued after getting lost while backcountry skiing near Livigno, Italy, one of the venues for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. The incident occurred on Tuesday night and underscores the importance of preparation and caution when exploring remote mountain terrain in Olympic host locations.
- The rescue was carried out by Italy's national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, and the Alpine Rescue Corps, who located the skiers using drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras after the men provided their GPS coordinates. - The two unidentified American skiers were found tired and cold, but otherwise unharmed. - This rescue occurred shortly after a period of dangerous conditions in the Italian Alps, where 13 backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers had recently died, 10 of them in avalanches. - The incident took place as Livigno is preparing to host all the freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where 26 medals are set to be awarded. - Livigno, a resort town near the Swiss border with an altitude of nearly 6,000 feet, will utilize the Livigno Snow Park and the Livigno Aerials & Moguls park for the Olympic events. - An official from Italy's Alpine Rescue Corps stated there is no danger to people skiing within the monitored and managed Olympic sites. - Due to the upcoming Olympic Games, enhanced rescue protocols were already in place, which may have contributed to the swiftness of the rescue operation.
