The prospects are far more severe for the Italian runner Roberto Zanda. He faces the loss of both hands and feet due to hypothermia-induced confusion, which led him to remove his gloves. He successfully made it six days into the race before the extreme conditions set in. When he failed to show up for a morning check-in, rescuers found the athlete confused and wandering off course – having abandoned his sled and GPS tracking device. Race organisers have called it the worst incident in the history of the event.