Jean-Louis Georgelin, the decorated French army general who was appointed to oversee the reconstruction of Paris's Notre Dame cathedral died during a mountain hike, The Guardian reported. The 74-year-old general is believed to have fallen on Mount Valier, near the Faustin pass in the Ariege, south-west France, at an altitude of 2,650 metres.
A mountain rescue team deployed to the Mont-Valier peak "discovered the body of a man who has been formally identified as General Georgelin", a spokesman said, adding that an accident was the likely cause.
Paying tribute to him, President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, ''With the death of General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the Nation lost one of its great soldiers. France, one of its great servants. And Notre Dame, the architect of its rebirth.''
In 2019, Mr. Macron appointed Mr. Georgelin to oversee the reconstruction of Notre Dame following a fire that devastated the cathedral.
Prior to that, he served as chief of France's military general staff, overseeing operations in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and beyond.
Notre-Dame, part of a UNESCO world heritage site on the banks of the River Seine lost its gothic spire, roof and many precious artefacts in the fire, which was watched by huge crowds.
An identical version has been made from the same original materials: 500 tonnes of oak wood for the structure and 250 tonnes of lead for the cover and ornaments.
''It will be exactly the same as it was by Viollet-le-Duc. But we do that with the means of our time: We use computers... We have probably less genius, but more calculation, more certainty by using computers,'' Mr Georgelin had previously told CBS News.
Mr Macron lamented that "Gen. Georgelin will never see the reopening of Notre Dame with his own eyes," but added that when it reopens on Dec. 8, 2024, ''he will be present with us.''
