3 French Athletes, Including 2 Former Olympians, Die in Helicopter Accident

Ten people died on Monday in a helicopter crash in Argentina. Among those who perished were famed sailor Florence Arthaud and former French Olympians Camille Muffat and Alexis Vastine, per The Telegraph's Josie Ensor.

Continue for updates.

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PSG to Honor Victims of Helicopter Crash

Tuesday, March 10

Paris Saint-Germain will wear black armbands to honor the victims of Monday's crash as they take on Chelsea in the Champions League, via Tom Williams of AFP.  

Williams passed along a comment from PSG manager Laurent Blanc, who said: "I present my sincere condolences to families of the 10 victims. French sport is in mourning."

IOC President Thomas Bach provided a statement, via The Associated Press:

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"We are shocked by this sad news. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of these great athletes who have left us."

Bach says "the world of sport and the Olympic family have lost three of their key members."

He adds the athletes "were all not only champions in their sport but also contributed greatly as role models.

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Parisian Authorities Open Manslaughter Investigation

Tuesday, March 10

Authorities in Paris have opened a manslaughter investigation, according to Heather Saul of The Independent. "The cause of the crash remains unclear and officials say weather conditions at the time were good," per Saul.

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3 Olympians, 7 Others Die in Helicopter Crash

Monday, March 9 

According to Ensor, Arthaud, Muffat and Vastine were part of a reality TV series called Dropped, in which eight athletes were to be dropped in remote locations and forced to survive.

Two separate helicopters were carrying Arthaud, Muffat and Vastine along with four members of the show's production crew. The helicopters reportedly crashed in midair, killing all on board, including the two pilots.

La Rioja Secretary of Security Cesar Angulo briefly commented on the accident, per The Associated Press via CBCNews: "An explosion occurred and it's believed that they must have collided. Aeronautical experts will have to determine that."

Former Arsenal forward Sylvain Wiltord was slated to be a cast member on the show. He tweeted out his feelings of sorrow after the crash:

"I am sad for my friends, I'm shaking, I'm horrified, I can't find the words," the tweet read, via Ensor.

Muffat won a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, a silver in the 200-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Olympics in London. Vastine earned a boxing bronze medal in the light welterweight division at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Arthaud's most notable accomplishment was winning the Route du Rhum race in 1990.

At this point, the cause of the crash is unknown.