A renowned Olympic medalist from Spain was recently discovered dead after having gone missing nearly two weeks ago.
The body of 56-year-old Spanish skier Blanca Fernandez Ochoa was found in a mountainous area north of the capital of Madrid following an extensive search by authorities after she had been reported missing by her family.
Gone missing after mountain hike
People Magazine, citing numerous other media sources, reported that Fernandez Ochoa was last seen on Aug. 23 while driving her black Mercedes in a town on the outskirts of Madrid.
Her abandoned vehicle was located on Sunday near the mountain village of Cercedilla, and a concerted search effort covering the surrounding area resulted in the discovery of her body three days later.
She was an avid hiker, and her family had been notified of her plans to go on a hike prior to her disappearance. However, they eventually grew concerned when she failed to check in later in the day and when all attempts to contact her failed, at which point she was reported as missing.
Legendary skiing family
CBS Sports reported that Fernandez Ochoa was a legendary athlete in Spain, as she was the first female Spaniard to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, earning the bronze medal in the slalom event at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.
The 1992 games were Fernandez Ochoa’s fourth and final winter games, having skied competitively in the 1980, 1984, and 1988 winter games.
She was also part of an incredible sports family in which all five siblings represented Spain at various times in the Winter Olympics.
Her older brother Francisco Fernandez Ochoa — who died of cancer in 2006 — was also a slalom skier who won the gold medal for Spain in the 1972 Olympics.
Massive volunteer search effort
CBS noted that Fernandez Ochoa’s body was found at the La Penota mountain by an off-duty Guardia Civil police officer who had joined the impressive number of volunteers searching for the missing skier.
That search effort included the use of drones, helicopters and specialist teams in addition to volunteers on the ground. People reported that Spain’s National Police issued a message of condolence to Fernandez Ochoa’s loved ones and gratitude to all of the volunteers who participated in search.
This is truly devastating news for Fernandez Ochoa’s family, friends and fans, and our hearts and prayers go out to those who are grieving the unexpected loss.
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