Peru avalanche horror as adventurous couple killed instantly by colossal snow wall

Daniel Navarro, 45, and his partner Sandra Covone, 33, were part of a three-person team struck by the avalanche on the slopes of Nevado Tocllaraju on June 17 – one of the bodies remains missing

A couple has tragically lost their lives in an avalanche while mountain climbing. Seasoned climbers Daniel Navarro and Sandra Covone were part of a trio hit by the snow slide at approximately 5.40am yesterday (17 Jun).

The pair, who frequently shared their climbing exploits on social media, had been in Peru for an acclimatisation route in the region. They sadly died when a colossal wall of snow came crashing down on them.

Daniel, 45, a Mexican mountain guide with 26 years under his belt, and his partner Sandra, 33, a Canadian national, were killed instantly. Their Peruvian guide, Florentino Caldua, survived the avalanche and managed to raise the alarm via satellite phone.

He was later rescued in stable condition by a mountain rescue team, as reported by NeedToKnow.

The avalanche struck on the perilous slopes of Nevado Tocllaraju (6,034m), one of the most frequented peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range in western Peru.

The couple had posted updates from their climbs of Nevado Mateo on 7 June and Nevado Vallunaraju on 9 June as part of their training.

Rescue efforts were hampered by poor weather and challenging high-altitude terrain.

Porfirio Cacha Macedo, president of the Association of Mountain Guides of Áncash (AGOEMA), said that the recovery mission remains exceptionally difficult due to the build-up of loose snow, heavy rock, and thick ice.

One body has reportedly been found but the search continues for the second victim in extremely harsh weather conditions.

Diplomatic officials are presently liaising with the Mexican and Canadian authorities concerning the international repatriation of the victims’ remains.

There have been no additional announcements regarding the retrieval of the bodies as the search operation persists in challenging circumstances.

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