Fabrizio Longo, an Audi executive, tragically died after falling while climbing a mountain in Italy on Sunday. He was 62.
The accident occurred as Longo navigated the treacherous terrain of the high-altitude route, climbing the Cima Payer in the Adamello mountains just a few miles from the Italian-Swiss border.
The Italian Winter Sports Federation announced on its website that Longo perhaps lost his balance while walking along a “via ferrata,” or protected climbing route, towards the peak of the mountain.
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Another hiker witnessed the fall and called to report it. The Pinzolo Alpine Rescue station arrived at the scene in a helicopter and found Longo in a gorge “but when the medical team landed on site in hovering, the doctor could do nothing but certify the death,” the site reads translated from Italian.
His body was taken to the Italian town of Carisolo.
“He had a great passion for the mountains, and, under his leadership, Audi Italia linked its image to that of the Italian Winter Sports Federation,” the organization added of Longo.
Newsweek has contacted Audi Italia for comment.
Who was Fabrizio Longo?
Longo was a prominent Italian executive at Audi. At the time of his death, he held the position of Managing Director of Audi Italia, overseeing the operations and strategy of the Audi brand in Italy.
Before joining Audi in 2013, Longo previously worked for Fiat and Lancia.
Born in Rimini in 1962, Longo was known for his leadership and contributions to the automotive industry, Longo was highly regarded within his field.
In addition to his professional achievements, Longo was also an experienced and passionate mountaineer. His tragic death in a climbing accident while on an expedition in Italy was widely reported and noted as a significant loss both to the automotive industry and the climbing community.
His Facebook page boasts beautiful photos of mountains, including his final post on August 17 of the Anderta Alps, an area part of the Sesto Dolomites in Italy.
Longo is survived by his wife, Maria, and their two children, Alessandro and Giula, Times of India reports.
Meanwhile, in Peru last month, police found the body of American mountain climber William Stampfl 22 years after he went missing. Officials said thawed ice on the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes exposed the missing climber’s corpse.
Stampfl, then 59, vanished with his group in an avalanche in 2002 while attempting to climb the 22,000-foot-high Huascarán mountain in Peru.
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