A man famous for his daring stunts on a bike has died. Andreas Tonelli fell 200 meters (over 650 feet) while biking in the Italian Dolomites on July 15. The Italian mountain biker had nearly 150,000 followers on Instagram and frequently posted photos and videos of him doing dangerous things. Although there are no details about the incident available, Italian media suggests he fell “while tackling a very steep section of terrain alone.”
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Social media held some clues about Tonelli’s last moments before the incident. He had posted a series of Instagram Stories just hours, perhaps even minutes before his death. Though now deleted (Instagram Stories are only active for 24 hours), the short clips showed him smiling and carrying his bike on his shoulders as he summited Piz Duleda.
Here is an Instagram post made by Andreas Tonelli on day two of his four-day trek in the Dolomites:
Here is a post made by the helicopter rescue organization that announces the biker’s death (along with a slew of other search-and-rescue efforts):
Here is a tribute post from one of Tonelli’s sponsors:
Header stock image of Piz Duleda Puez Group peaks in the Dolomites by LorenzoT81/Getty Images
