At the end of July, the Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS) used drones and artificial intelligence to find the body of Nicola Ivaldo. The climber went missing in September 2024 while climbing Monviso, a 3,841-metre peak that is the highest point in the Cottian Alps and is located on the border between Italy and France. He was 64 years old at the time of the tragedy.
Thanks to data from Ivaldo’s mobile phone, the search efforts focused on the dangerous, steep northern slope of the mountain with overhanging glaciers. July 29, 2025 – Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras took 2,600 images in just five hours of an area too dangerous for humans.
Then the many images were analyzed by artificial intelligence. Over the course of a day, it managed to isolate a cluster of red pixels that turned out to be Ivaldo’s helmet. The helmet was still on the dead man’s head, who was lying face down. By July 31, a search team confirmed the grisly find at an altitude of 3,150 meters in the steep and narrow Perotti Gorge on the northern slope of Monviso. The helicopter managed to evacuate Ivaldo’s remains in three days, despite fog and bad weather.
The search organization, in cooperation with the Civil Defense Department, The Italian Air Force has spent the last year and a half refining its AI system to recognize colors and shapes in mountain terrain. The system processed drone footage much faster than the human eye, turning weeks or months of painstaking work into hours.
CNSAS continues to expand the use of AI in search and rescue operations.
On September 14, 2024, Nicola Ivaldo, an orthopedic surgeon from Liguria, went missing while climbing Monviso solo. Ivaldo did not disclose his route, but his experience suggests he was planning to climb Monviso’s challenging northwest ridge. His phone was last seen connecting to a cell tower near Pinerolo, on the opposite side of the mountain, providing a vital clue to his whereabouts.
Ivaldo was reported missing on September 16, when he failed to show up for a doctor’s appointment, alarming his family and colleagues.
The search began on September 17, when helicopters, drones, and canine units combed the northern and western slopes of Monviso, tracking cell phone signals.
By October 9, 2024, with no trace of Ivaldo found and the mountain completely covered in snow, the search was called off. It became clear that he would not be found alive.
Monviso is known for its difficult technical routes, especially on the northern and western slopes. Ivaldo may have died as a result of a fall in the Perotti Gorge, which was exacerbated by a sudden change in the weather. Monviso’s steep, eroded slopes and unpredictable weather can cause the death of even experienced climbers. However, the results of the forensic examination conducted after the climber’s body was found have not been made public, so the exact cause of his death is unknown.
However, the remote location explains why his body remained undetected until it was found last month with the help of sophisticated drones and artificial intelligence.
AtThe urgent search efforts point to the potential for drones and artificial intelligence to be used in other mountainous regions, where harsh conditions often make it difficult to find missing climbers. During rescue efforts, drones equipped with thermal imaging and artificial intelligence could locate climbers stuck in the mountains and deliver food or medicine to them.
Source: alp.org.ua