Two American skiers were rescued Tuesday (February 10) night after getting lost while backcountry skiing near Livigno, Italy, one of the host locations for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The unidentified male skiers became “stranded at high altitude” after losing their bearings in the darkness, according to Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco.
The rescue operation was executed swiftly after the men provided their GPS coordinates to authorities. Rescuers deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to locate the skiers in the dark, snowy terrain. The Alpine Rescue Corps joined the operation, which benefited from enhanced rescue protocols already in place for the Olympics.
“There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and in particular no risks to the Olympic sites,” said Federico Catania, spokesperson for Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps. “All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events.”
Both skiers were reported to be in good health following the rescue, with Italian media suggesting they were in the country specifically for the Olympics.
Livigno, a ski town with an altitude of nearly 6,000 feet located near the Swiss border, is currently hosting all freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions for the Winter Games. The town, which typically has fewer than 7,000 residents, has seen its population swell with thousands of Olympic spectators.
The rescue comes amid concerning conditions in the Italian Alps. Earlier this month, a record 13 backcountry adventurers died in the region’s mountains, with authorities reporting 10 avalanches triggered by fresh snowfall and unstable snowpack conditions.
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