Respected Audi executive and avid mountain climber Fabrizio Longo passed away tragically after falling while solo climbing Italy’s Cima Payer.
Longo, 62, died on Saturday, August 31, while traveling over a “via ferrata,” a protected climbing route, to reach the summit of the mountain, according to a statement from the Italian Winter Sports Federation.
The president of the Italian Winter Sports Federation, Flavio Roda, released a statement expressing his profound sadness at Longo’s demise, referring to it as “a terrible loss for the federation, which has collaborated profitably with Longo for years.”
Roda expressed her sympathies to the Longo family as well as the Audi Italia personnel, emphasizing the influence Longo had on the company.
Longo, who is described as “a very expert and careful mountaineer,” was ascending by himself when the event took place.
The organization claims that another climber saw the fall and notified the authorities right away.
After arriving by helicopter, rescuers from the Pinzolo Alpine Rescue station discovered Longo’s death 200 meters (656 feet) below the peak. On the spot, medical workers verified his death.
Later, Longo’s body was found by the Guardia di Finanza, the local law enforcement organization in Italy, and taken to Carisolo, Italy, according to local news site Il Messaggero.
Longo, who was born in 1962 in Rimini, Italy, has been the director of Audi Italia since 2013.
Under his direction, the Italian Winter Sports Federation and Audi Italia’s reputation were intimately associated.
Prior to joining Audi in 2012, Longo held prominent roles at Fiat and Lancia.Longo was an avid mountaineer, and his love of the mountains was clear from his last post on Facebook, which was made just two weeks prior to the tragedy and showed the Anderta Alps in the Sesto Dolomites.
