Avalanche
A mountaineering expedition in the Ortler Range in northern Italy ended in tragedy Friday, May 30, when a 28-year-old mountaineer was swept away by an avalanche while descending the Königsspitze, also known as Gran Zebrù, one of the region’s highest and most challenging peaks. Rescue teams recovered his body early Saturday morning, May 31, after a daylong search in treacherous conditions.
Identified as Fabio Trevisan of Leifers (Laives), the seasoned mountaineer and agricultural sciences researcher at the University of Bolzano was accompanied by a friend who escaped unharmed and immediately called emergency services at 11:15 a.m.. The avalanche struck near the summit at an altitude of approximately 3,600 meters (11,811 feet), carrying Trevisan some 400 meters (1,312 feet) down the mountain. His body was located at 3,200 meters (10,499 feet), just below the glacier the following day.
Despite deploying foot teams, avalanche dogs, and advanced detection tools like the Recco system and Artva transceivers, rescuers faced severe challenges. Heavy snow continued to fall, visibility was nearly zero, and the snowpack was dangerously unstable—saturated and slushy, making it difficult even for trained dogs to track. Strong high-altitude winds grounded the Alpine Rescue helicopter equipped with an IMSI catcher, a tool used to trace cellphones, further delaying operations. “This avalanche had a front roughly 150 meters (492 feet) long, 60 meters (197 feet) wide, and three meters (10 feet) deep,” said Olaf Reinstadler, commander of the CNSAS Sulden mountain rescue station in an interview with Italian news. “His helmet was found on the surface, and it helped guide our search direction.”
By mid-afternoon Friday, safety concerns forced the team to halt the search. “The snow continued to slide from the side of the mountain,” explained Reinstadler, “We had searched with teams on foot and surveyed the snow with canine units, but visibility was almost zero.” The search and rescue resumed at dawn on Saturday, when firmer snow conditions reduced avalanche risk and visibility was clear. Trevisan’s body was found shortly afterward.
Friends and colleagues remembered Trevisan as a passionate outdoorsman whose love of the mountains was matched only by his intellectual curiosity. Trevisan was the second of three brothers. His death is a profound loss for both his family and the South Tyrolean academic and mountaineering communities.
CNSAS warns hikers of the dangers of spring avalanches in the region. Recent snowfall at high altitude combined with high temperatures during the day can create trecherous conditions in high alpine regions.
