French Skier Juliette Willmann Killed in Avalanche in Argentina
The 29-year-old professional skier was swept 1,300 feet down a mountain with her husband in the Patagonian Andes.
Professional skier Juliette Willmann, 29, died after being caught in an avalanche and swept approximately 1,300 feet down Cerro Creston mountain in the Patagonian Andes, Argentina. The incident occurred on Tuesday around 12:30 p.m. when a large mass of snow came down the mountain, engulfing Willmann and her newlywed husband, Pierre-Idris Mehdi, 30.
The couple fell from an estimated height of 10,171 feet. Emergency services, including mountain rescue, police, Civil Defense, and medics, responded after a distress beacon activated. Rescuers found both skiers hours later, around 5 p.m. Willmann's husband survived and was evacuated for treatment, but Willmann was pronounced dead at the scene after resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
An investigation into the circumstances of her death is ongoing. Willmann was a professional freeride and ski mountaineering athlete who competed on the Freeride World Tour from 2019 to 2022. She hailed from a prominent skiing family in France; her father, Phillippe, is a former French alpine ski coach, and her sister, Alison, was a member of the national alpine team.
Olivier Greber, president of the Chamonix guide company, confirmed Willmann's death, stating she was "well involved in local life." He noted that Mehdi, who has worked as a guide in the valley for two years, was severely affected by the incident. The couple had reportedly been newlyweds.
Prior to the accident, Willmann shared a post on Instagram expressing gratitude for their trip to Patagonia. "We feel so lucky to be here, in the mountains of Patagonia, exploring this amazing place. This trip in South America keeps blowing our mind," she wrote.
Willmann, who had experience skiing in extreme conditions, including at high altitudes in Nepal, previously spoke about the inherent dangers of mountain environments. In a 2024 documentary, she emphasized the need for respect and awareness, stating, "In the mountains you are vulnerable. The mountains decide and you have to listen to them, you have to respect them."