The body of Spanish Olympic skier Blanca Fernandez Ochoa has been found in the mountains outside Madrid, almost two weeks after she was last seen alive.
An off-duty officer from the Guardia Civil police force found Fernandez Ochoa’s body Wednesday at La Peñota, a mountain near Cercedilla, northwest of the Spanish capital, a Guardia Civil spokesman told CNN.
In 1992 Fernandez Ochoa became the first Spanish woman to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, taking home bronze in the slalom in Albertville, France.
Fernandez Ochoa, 56, who competed in four Winter Olympics from 1980 to 1992, was last seen on August 23 in the Aravaca district on the outskirts of the city, according to a tweet from Spain’s National Police.
Her car, a Mercedes A-Class, was found on Sunday. Her body was found three days later following a massive search operation.
The National Police tweeted their condolences to Fernandez Ochoa’s friends and family, as well as thanking “all of the volunteers who participated in search efforts over the last few days.”
The force published regular updates on the search through Twitter, revealing that specialist teams had used drones and helicopters to eventually locate the skier.
