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They died during a backcountry skiing excursion in Val Senales, the former chairman of the Raiffeisen Bank of South Tyrol, Michael gruener, 65, and his wife Monika Gamper, 52. The well-known lawyer from Bolzano was originally from Val Senales and headed the Raiffeisen Landesbank for 23 years, until last June Hanspeter Felder took over as the new president. Gruener was a very experienced ski mountaineer who had also climbed the Himalayan mountains when he was young. Perfect snow, as is rarely found at this time of year, a few days off and the desire to breathe fresh air in the mountains of the border range.
The spouses were in the valley and had decided to go on a trip in sealskins, as they had often done. The danger of avalanches in most of South Tyrol, after recent snowfalls, is high (grade 3 out of 5). Nothing prohibitive for an expert in ski touring like Gruener. But today something went wrong in the assessment of the slope of Mount Croce, perhaps due to the fog. At approximately 1:40 p.m. an avalanche broke out at an altitude of 2,500 meters, overwhelming the couple. The alarm was raised by other mountain skiers, who had noticed the man and woman a little earlier and never saw them again after the avalanche. The rescue was made particularly difficult due to the fog.
The «Pelikan 2» took off from Bressanone, while another helicopter from neighboring Austria. It was only after several attempts that they managed to bring the rescuers of Senales Mountain up, while precious minutes passed. Thanks to the Arva, the two mountain skiers were located under the snow and freed, but for Michael Gruener there was nothing more to do, and a long attempt to resurrect his wife was nonexistent. All the rescuers were left with the transport of the bodies to Naturno’s morgue. The couple leaves behind an 18-year-old daughter.
News of the tragedy spread quickly in Val Senales and in Bolzano, where the two were well known. Monika Gamper was originally from Cermes, in Val Venosta, and worked in the communications sector. Michael Gruener was born in Merano, but originally from Val Senales. The most important stages of his professional life, however, took place in Bolzano. In fact, he was a partner in a well-known law firm and for 23 years he had been president of South Tyrol’s rural banks, Raiffeisen Landesbank. Gruener was also well known in the world of mountaineering and skiing. The mountains were his great passion in the little free time he had left.
Last updated: 20:35
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