A top Audi executive and avid mountain climber died in a tragic accident on Sunday after falling 10,000 feet just a few miles from the Italian-Swiss border, according to reports.
Fabrizio Longo, 62, who heads the luxury car maker's operations in Italy, fell near the summit of Cima Paia in the Adamello Mountains in northern Italy, several European media outlets reported.
Another climber who witnessed the accident called for help, and rescue teams rushed to the scene.
A helicopter team found Longo's body about 700 feet into the canyon.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
His body was taken to the nearby Italian town of Carisolo.
Local authorities have launched an investigation.
Longo, a seasoned climber, reportedly ascended along a route equipped with fixed steel cables, ladders and other aids. According to The Sun.
Longo had been head of Audi's operations in Italy since 2013, having joined the company the previous year.
He began his career in the automotive industry in 1987, working in the marketing department of Italian car manufacturer Fiat.
Fifteen years later, he joined rival Italian car manufacturer Lancia.
Longo was well known in winter sports circles.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation issued a statement mourning his death.
The federation's president, Flavio Roda, called Longo's death “a great loss for the federation, which enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with him for many years.”
“Our thoughts are with the family and the staff of Audi Italia in this moment of great pain,” he said.
The Post has reached out to Audi for comment.
