World

Top Audi Executive Reportedly Falls To His Death In Mountain Climbing Accident

Adamello_da_Ercavallo

Image not from story (Wikimedia Commons/Public/Grasso83 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

John Oyewale Contributor
Font Size:

A top Audi executive and mountain climbing aficionado suffered a fatal fall Saturday while vacationing on a mountain range in northern Italy, according to reports.

Fabrizio Longo, director of Audi Italia since 2013, fell more than 600 feet while near the summit of Cima Payer, Il Messaggero reported. The mountain stands at around 10,000 feet above sea level, between the Corno di Lago Scuro peak in Trento province and Punta Pisgana in Brescia province, on the Adamello-Presanella Alps.

Longo was climbing alone along the via ferrata, or iron path, and was close to the summit of Cima Payer when he reportedly lost his grip along the protected route and fell at about 1:15 p.m., the outlet separately reported.

A climber reportedly arrived at the scene and called for emergency services. Technicians and a medical team were dispatched by helicopter from a rescue station in the town of Pinzolo to the site, where a doctor pronounced Longo dead, the outlet revealed. Another helicopter, from the Guardia di Finanza, then reportedly winched his body over to the neighboring town of Carisolo. Saturday was reportedly scheduled to be the last day of his vacation. (RELATED: Skier Dies After 600-Foot Fall From Icy Mountain As Weather Conditions Wreak Havoc At Tourist Destination)

Longo was expected to oversee an upcoming exhibition of new, highly-anticipated Audi models and the carmaker’s return to the Paris Motor Show, according to the outlet.

Born in the northern Italian city of Rimini, Longo studied political science. Beginning his career in the automotive industry at Fiat in 1987, Longo would move on to Piaggio, Toyota, BMW, and Hyundai before finally becoming the director of Volkswagen‘s Audi Italia.

Longo and Audi reportedly shared a passion for motorsports, with some of Audi’s vehicles winning various races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France and the Dakar Rally in Senegal.

Longo reportedly was also close friends with professional Italian mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Hervé Barmasse. He was involved in ecologically sustainable efforts in alpine communities — particularly in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio, two ski resorts in northern Italy, according to Il Messaggero.

“Today, everyone talks about sustainability,” Longo reportedly often said, “but I prefer the word ‘awareness.’ Behind awareness, there is a much broader value because it presupposes a deep understanding of the context. And it implies choices by companies that translate into realistic solutions.”