Pro Skier Jean Daniel Pession & Girlfriend Elisa Arlian Die ‘Tied Together’ After Mountain Fall

World Cup skier Jean Daniel Pession and his girlfriend, ski instructor Elisa Arlian, have died after falling off a mountain in Italy. The Italian winter Sports Federation confirmed the couple’s tragic accident on June 1, revealing that it’s believed the pair fell more than 2,000 feet while traversing Mount Zerbion. According to a translated report from Italian public broadcasting network RAI, rescue teams transported to the site via helicopter located the bodies of Jean, 28, and Elisa, 27, thanks in part to one of the skier’s cell phone signals. The couple reportedly knew the area well and their families reported them missing when they failed to return from their hike in an expected timeframe. RAI noted that their respective ropes kept them attached to one another throughout their final moments. “They were almost at the summit, just a step away, when suddenly they were betrayed by the mountain they loved so much. When they were found, they were still tied together, like in a final embrace,” the report said in part.