Bodies of mountaineers found dangling by climbing ropes in Alps – but the cause of the fall is a mystery

Two Austrian mountaineers who went missing earlier this week have been found dead, still anchored to the side of the mountain they were scaling.

The men, who were both Alpine rescuers, were reported missing on Wednesday July 31. They were climbing the 8,200-foot Cima di Riofreddo on Via Comici at Cima di Riofreddo, in Italy's Julian Alps when it's believed they fell.

Their bodies were still partially anchored to the mountainside when they were found the following morning during a helicopter search by rescuers.

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In a Facebook post the Italian rescue service has said that the cause of the fall was unclear, suggesting that it could have been due to human error or a potential rockslide.

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