Juliette Willmann dies in Argentine Patagonia avalanche

French professional freeride skier Juliette Willmann, 29, died following an avalanche at Cerro Crestón near El Chaltén, Argentina. The incident occurred on Tuesday while she was practicing backcountry skiing with her partner, mountain guide Pierre-Idris Mehdi, 30.

Authorities reported that a snow slab release swept the couple approximately 400 meters down the slope. Willmann was found buried under roughly 1.5 meters of snow and could not be resuscitated despite efforts by nearby skiers and emergency responders. Mehdi was rescued alive and transported to a hospital in El Calafate; he is reported to be out of danger.

A large-scale rescue operation involved National Parks, Gendarmería Nacional, Civil Defense, and various provincial health and agrarian councils. Willmann, a former competitor on the Freeride World Tour and winner of the 2018 Freeride World Qualifier, was part of a skiing family and had recently transitioned her focus toward high-mountain exploration and filmmaking.