A Winter Olympics location turned into a life-threatening ground for two American skiers. Both of them got lost while backcountry skiing near Livigno, Italy, which was one of the locations where the Milan Olympics are taking place. However, things came back under control when both of them were rescued.
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With temperatures dropping and snowfall intensifying, the lost skiers contacted authorities and gave their GPS coordinates. From there, the official executives took over the rescue mission by deploying drones with thermal imaging cameras to scan in the dark.
Both of them found their way back to their home on Tuesday night, February 10, 2026, after Italian authorities took emergency action.
The Alpine Rescue team joined in the operation because with the Winter Olympics taking place there, they were already prepared for such situations. After the rescue mission was completed, Alpine Rescue’s spokesperson, Federico Catania, assured how well protected the locations were.
“There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and in particular, no risks to the Olympic sites,” Catania said. “All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events.”
MOUNTAIN MIRACLE: Two American skiers were rescued Tuesday night after getting lost while backcountry skiing near an Olympic venue in Livigno, Italy, officials said.
Crews used GPS coordinates, drones and thermal imaging to locate the stranded men in the dark. pic.twitter.com/vQp1rS6biu
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 13, 2026
The team got both of them in good health, and they are recovering well. However, the craze for taking the experience in Livigno is not new for people.
The place is located near the Swiss border at an altitude of nearly 6,000 feet, which currently hosts all freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions for the Winter Games. So, now you know why people are so much into this, especially during winter.
The town that usually has fewer than 7,000 residents sees its population go to thousands because of the Olympics and these winter sports. But it comes with a risk too.
This isn’t the first time skiers’ lives were at risk; earlier this month, 13 backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers died in the Italian mountains. There were also 10 avalanches caused by fresh snowfall. This shows even though the ski areas seem safe and monitored, things tend to take a shift in off-piste areas.
With this successful rescue mission, Italy also achieved a major milestone.
The 2026 Winter Olympics make a milestone
Italy hosted the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, making it their fourth time as an Olympic host and third in winter games, which is second only to the US with four games. The event took place after 70 years when Cortina d’Ampezzo first welcomed the world’s top winter athletes in 1956.
The game was first scheduled for 1944, but then, because of the Second World War, it couldn’t happen. Yet the game created a lot of history as Italian skier Giuliana Chenal-Minuzzo became the first woman to recite the Olympic oath at an opening ceremony.
Then even the games were broadcast live on black and white television to nine European nations for the first time. Since that time, the Winter Olympics have changed over time in 70 years, adding YouTube-driven and broadcast-friendly sports such as short-track speed skating, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing, while ski mountaineering debuts in 2026.
Women’s participation in ice hockey has increased since 1998, and the IOC liaisons cut strict amateur-only rules after 1986. Then winners started getting more financial benefits, and even professional NHL players returned in 2026 for the first time since 2014. Even the cost saw a major surge from about US $250,000 in 1956 to a projected US $5.9 billion in 2026. With such major surges and milestones, the Winter Games are making their impact felt in the entire world.