Auto Exec and Expert Mountain Climber Dies Climbing 10,000-Foot Peak

An Audi executive who was also an avid mountain climber has died after falling from a peak in Italy, People reported.

Fabrizio Longo, 62, died while making his way along a “via ferrata,” or protected climbing route, at Cima Payer, a 10,000-foot mountain range located between the Italian provinces of Brescia and Trento.

Despite being “a very expert and careful mountaineer,” according to Flavio Roda, president of the Italian Winter Sports Federation. Longo lost his footing while hiking alone and fell from the height. It’s unclear where Longo was on the mountain when he fell, but it doesn’t appear he made it to the top of Cima Payer. A fellow climber “witnessed the incident” and called emergency services, who located Longo’s body 656 feet below the summit within a gorge.

Roda called Longo’s death “a terrible loss for the federation, which has collaborated profitably with Longo for years. We join his family in this moment of great pain and the staff of Audi Italia.”

“He had a great passion for the mountains, and, under his leadership, Audi Italia linked its image to that of the Italian Winter Sports Federation,” the federation added.

Longo was born in Rimini, Italy, in 1962. He joined Audi in 2012 after holding positions at Fiat and Lancia. In 2013, he became the director of Audi Italia. Longo documented his love for mountaineering on his social media profiles, posting pictures of a trip to the Anderta Alps, part of the Sesto Dolomites, just two weeks ago.