TRENT. Wild flowers in the hands of relatives and friends, a symbol of the mountain that Tom Arent van de Plassche, 24, who died in Sunday’s tragic accident on the Ortles, loved so much. Next to the windows of the church, many images of happy moments spent on the peaks, between ski mountaineering and trail running.
This afternoon, three hundred of them, in the secular farewell room, gave their final farewell to the young Dutchman, who lived with his partner Sofia in Trento. Among those present many people came from Holland.
The mother’s memory is very touching: «Tom flew away. This is what we, Tom’s father and mother, said to ourselves when Fabio from the Alpine Rescue team called us on Sunday around 10.15am with the worst news a parent could hear. I say “fly” because Tom’s surname is Arent, and this means “eagle” in Dutch. Over the years we realized that it was the right name. Blue eyes, lover of great heights and strong physically and in his actions. He wanted to feel free up there.”
The words of his partner, Sofia Farina, are poignant: «When we went to the mountains he was always the one who chose the itinerary. Now the hardest climb is up to me: surviving a life without him. Once again he gave me all the tools: your memories and emotions.”
