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A French female surfer was killed in an avalanche in Argentina.
French freeride champion Juliette Willman (29) was killed on Tuesday in a deadly avalanche while skiing in the Andes Mountains in Patagonia. Her husband, who was skiing with her at an altitude of approximately 3,100 meters, was rescued alive by local rescue forces and evacuated to hospital suffering from injuries.
The professional ski world is in deep mourning following the tragic death of Juliette Willman, one of France's leading freeride skiers in recent years. The devastating incident occurred on Cerro Crestón, near the tourist town of El Chaltén in southern Argentina.
Taken from the Facebook account: Sportricolore
Willman was skiing at the site with her husband, Pierre-Idriss Mehdi (30), in an area known for its challenging routes. During the descent, a massive block of snow broke loose and triggered a large avalanche. The two were swept approximately 400 meters down the steep mountainside and buried beneath the snow.
A distress signal activated in the area prompted the deployment of airborne rescue teams, together with inspectors from Argentina's national parks and local volunteers. Rescue forces managed to locate the husband injured but conscious, and he was quickly evacuated by helicopter for medical treatment. Unfortunately, when Willman was located, she was already showing no signs of life, and medical teams were forced to declare her dead at the scene after resuscitation efforts failed.
Willman was a well-known and highly respected figure in the global extreme sports community. Between 2019 and 2022, she competed at the highest levels of the Freeride World Tour, and her many achievements made her a source of inspiration for young skiers around the world. Argentine authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, and the French federation has already issued an official condolence statement mourning the loss of the gifted athlete.
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