Switzerland begins criminal investigation into canyoning deaths

Justice authorities in Switzerland on Friday announced the beginning of a criminal investigation into Tuesday’s fatal canyoning accident near the resort town of Interlaken.

Justice authorities in Switzerland on Friday announced the beginning of a criminal investigation into Tuesday’s fatal canyoning accident near the resort town of Interlaken.

Prosecutor Michel-André Fels said the investigation targetted four suriving guides of Adventure World, the company which had organised the fatal trip.

Police were now trying to establish whether the guides negligently caused the deaths of at least 19 people – most of them overseas tourists.

Investigators were for instance trying to find out if the adventure groups had received a warning about an approaching thunderstorm just as they prepared to embark on the trip down Saxeten creek.

There were some reports that locals had warned the guides against entering the gorge but that those warnings were ignored.

Search and rescue teams were on Friday continuing efforts to locate the two people still missing. Search efforts, which involved sniffer dogs and an underwater camera, focused on the Saxeten creek and nearby Lake Brienz.

Nineteen bodies have been recovered so far. But police have said that identification is extremely difficult since none of the adventurers was carrying identification papers or other items – such as jewellery – which would speed up the identification process.

Police said they had so far identified seven of the victims — two Swiss, two Australians, two Britons and a New Zealander.

Investigators are releasing the names of the identified victims on the Internet once their families have been notified. The address is: http://www.police.be.ch/

The special helpline for relatives is:

(International code for Switzerland), then 31 634 20 51.
(For calls made in Switzerland) 031 634 20 51.

“Persons who can give more information about the victims should contact the helpline,” investigators said on their website.

Canyoning involves swimming and sliding down fast-flowing rivers wearing padded wetsuits, life jackets and helmets.

Fifty-three people were on Tuesday’s excursion. They had been begun the tour late in the afternoon, in groups of about 10. According to investigators, the wall of water surprised mainly the second and third group. Fourteen of the 19 victims found so far were from Australia.




From staff and wire reports.