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Two American skiers lost while skiing in Italy near an Olympic venue in Livigno were rescued Tuesday night using thermal cameras and drones.
The harrowing scene began when the two male skiers, who were not identified, were “stranded at high altitude” after they “lost orientation” in the dark, Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s national fire and rescue service, said in a translated statement.
Two male skiers, who were not identified, were “stranded at high altitude” after they “lost orientation” in the dark, Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s national fire and rescue service, said in a translated statement. (Vigili del Fuoco)
Officials said the men provided their GPS coordinates, and with the help of the Alpine Rescue Corps and the use of drones equipped with thermal cameras, the skiers were quickly located and rescued.
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According to local reports, rescue protocols already in place for the Olympics due to the Cortina Games in Milan 2026 enabled a faster response and rescue.
Officials said the skiers returned unharmed.
Livigno, a ski town in the Italian Alps near the Swiss border, is one of the main hosts of the Winter Olympics. The area, with an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet, hosts all freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions and has three hotels that were transformed into an Olympic village.
South Korea’s Jung Dae-yoon competes during the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Gold Finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on February 12, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP Photo)
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Tuesday’s rescue comes not long after a record 13 skiers, climbers and hikers died in the Italian mountains earlier this month. New snowfall and unstable snowpack have contributed to 10 avalanches in the region.
”Under such conditions, the passage of a single skier, or natural overload from the weight of snow, can be sufficient to trigger an avalanche,” Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps spokesman Federico Catania recently told The Associated Press.
Two male skiers, who were not identified, were “stranded at high altitude” after they “lost orientation” in the dark, Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s national fire and rescue service, said in a translated statement. (Vigili del Fuoco)
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“There is no danger to people skiing in managed ski resorts, and in particular no risk to the Olympic venues,” Catania said. “All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events.”
