A 5-year-old Italian girl has been left orphaned after her mother slipped off a snowy cliff during a hike and her father also fell during a desperate attempt to save her, according to a report.
The shocking tragedy occurred Sunday in Carmonica Valley in the northern region of Lombardy, where the family from Milan was walking along with two friends, Newsflash reported.
As the group was returning from the hike, they were forced to leave the trail because an avalanche had blocked part of it.
Valeria Coletta, 35, lost her footing and slipped toward the edge of the precipice before plummeting in front of her husband, Fabrizio Martino Marchi, 40, who tried to grab her before falling himself, according to the outlet.
The friends raised the alarm after they managed to make it safely back with the girl, who was handed over to her grandparents.
The parents’ bodies were later recovered by a helicopter that flew to the site from nearby Brescia. Police, firefighters and volunteers also took part in the effort to reach the tragic couple.
No foul play is suspected in the accident as an investigation continues.