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Extreme biker dies in 600-foot mountain fall, after sharing final Instagram post
Alarms were raised around 9:00 pm, when Tonelli did not return. Hours later, the authorities discovered his body at the bottom of the steep ravine
A 48-year-old extreme biker and influencer Andreas Tonelli lost his life on July 15, after his bike fell in the Vallelunga area of Val Gardena, South Tyrol, the Italian media reported. With over 130,000 followers and 1,257 posts on Instagram, Tonelli was famous for his biking adventures in tough terrains.
According to L’Unione Sarda report, Tonelli fell approximately 600 feet while tackling a very steep section of terrain, alone. Difficult terrain made it harder to reconstruct the exact events leading up to the accident.
Alarms were raised around 9pm, when Tonelli did not return. Hours later, the authorities discovered his body through a helicopter at the bottom of the steep ravine at 1am, the outlet reported.
Last story went out hours before disappearance
On July 15, Tonelli uploaded his last Instagram story at 7:15pm (local time) after climbing 9,531 feet. on the Piz Duleda peak in Puez Odle Nature Park.
In the now-deleted clip, Tonelli was seen smiling with his bike on his shoulders and the valley below him, reported L’Unione Sarda. Later at night Aiut Alpin helicopter patrolled the area and found his body. The search was complicated by the difficult weather and heavy rain.
Meanwhile, Norrøna, a premium brand that Tonelli was an ambassador for, also took to Instagram and announced his death. “It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that professional mountain biker, true gentleman, and Norrøna ambassador Andreas Tonelli lost his life in a biking accident on July 15," the post read.
The company also said that Tonelli was a passionate, dedicated and significant voice and will be remembered for his “big smile and deep love.” It also said that he liked sharing his passion for mountain biking with everyone and made a profound impact on the people he met.
The post concluded by saying “Our heartfelt thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family and friends.”
