French skier Juliette Willmann dies in Argentina avalanche

French freeride skier Juliette Willmann, 29, died after an avalanche swept her and her husband, Pierre-Idris Mehdi, on Cerro Crestón in Argentina on September 29. Mehdi survived with injuries and was evacuated for medical treatment, according to reports citing Argentine authorities. The precise circumstances of the avalanche remain under investigation. The slide occurred near the southern end of Lago del Desierto, in a remote area of the Patagonian Andes near El Chaltén. Argentina’s Ministry of Security attributed the avalanche to a slab failure in the snowpack. That account has not been accompanied by completed investigation findings in the available reports. A rescue operation involving mountain rescue teams and other emergency personnel was launched after authorities were alerted. Rescuers traveled from El Chaltén and continued on foot through steep terrain, reaching the pair after several hours. Willmann was confirmed dead at the scene, while Mehdi was taken for treatment. The available accounts do not establish all details of how the avalanche unfolded. The French Ski Federation confirmed Willmann’s death and said she had been caught in an avalanche while in Argentina.