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Wednesday, 30 September 2026dailybeirut.com
Miscellaneous
French freeride athlete Juliette Willmann died after being buried under five feet of snow during an avalanche in Argentina's Patagonia region.
Five feet of snow claimed the life of French freeride athlete Juliette Willmann, 29, following a catastrophic avalanche event in Argentina. The incident occurred on Cerro Crestón near El Chaltén, where Willmann was ski touring with her husband, Pierre-Idris Mehdi.
French freeride star Juliette Willmann, 29, died after being swept 1,300ft down a mountain in Patagonia and buried under five feet of snow while skiing with her husband.
The pair were positioned at approximately 3,100 meters (10,171 feet) above sea level when the mass of snow broke loose around 12:30 pm yesterday, September 29. Both skiers were swept roughly 400 meters (1,312 feet) down the mountain face. While Pierre-Idris, 30, survived with injuries and was rescued, Willmann became buried beneath the heavy snowpack.
French freeride star Juliette Willmann, 29, died after being swept 1,300ft down a mountain in Patagonia and buried under five feet of snow while skiing with her husband.
A distress beacon activated about 15 minutes after the slide, prompting other skiers in the vicinity to begin digging through the snow. Although medics guided CPR attempts via radio, Willmann was eventually found without vital signs and could not be revived. A major recovery operation involving national parks officials, mountain rescue teams, police, civil defence, and medical staff was subsequently launched to retrieve her body from the remote location.
French freeride star Juliette Willmann, 29, died after being swept 1,300ft down a mountain in Patagonia and buried under five feet of snow while skiing with her husband.
Willmann competed on the prestigious Freeride World Tour between 2019 and 2022 as a professional freeride and ski mountaineering athlete. Born in Marseille, she grew up in the Ubaye Valley in the French Alps and began skiing at just two years old. Her family background was deeply rooted in the sport; her father worked as a ski coach, her mother as a ski instructor, and her older sister competed for the French alpine skiing team.
Initially competing in alpine skiing, Willmann transitioned into freeride and later high-mountain skiing. After moving to Chamonix, she established herself on the international freeride scene before shifting focus to big-mountain skiing and filmmaking. She also practiced judo, running, and mountain biking.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, Willmann and her husband had been traveling through South America. In her final Instagram post, shared from Cerro Madsen near El Chaltén, she wrote: “We feel so lucky to be here, in the mountains of Patagonia, exploring this amazing place.” She added that their trip across South America continued to amaze them.
Reflecting on her relationship with the sport in a 2024 documentary, Willmann stated: “The mountains are dangerous places. You have to respect them and listen to them.” She noted that while experience is crucial, she remained humble regarding her journey in the sport.
