294:
282:
214:, and Switzerland died. 48 people from 2 coach tour parties had opted to do a side activity of canyoning where you float, swim and climb through an area, such as a gorge. It was organized by Adventure World, a now defunct company who were located in Wilderswil, not far from Saxeten. Shortly into the experience, flash floods began pouring through the gorge and 21 people within the group were swept to their deaths. 18 were tourists and 3 were canyon guides. The authorities were alerted to the incident when a local jogger spotted bodies in Lake Brienz.
270:
40:
258:
218:
before undertaking the experience. A number of survivors opted to identify the dead at the mortuary, but many had to be identified through DNA and dental analysis. Around 150 officers were involved in the operation. It was
Switzerland's worst whitewater accident since 1993 when 17 people died in an accident in the
225:
Following the incident, there was significant criticism of the organiser
Adventure World, noting their ignorance toward the storm warnings issued. Swiss authorities were quick to blame profit making and general negligence as the cause of the accident. The Swiss government also suspended all canyoning
217:
The survivors were rescued and then questioned by Swiss police before being released and returned to their hotel at 1am the next morning. Identifying the dead bodies was a challenge as many were badly traumatized, and bereft of personal belongings as jewellery, watches and identifiers were removed
241:
in connection to the deaths. Of the 8 staff trialled, six were found guilty of manslaughter through culpable negligence and given suspended sentences of between two and five months and fined between 4,000 and 7,500
281:
293:
395:
582:
478:
269:
379:
661:
636:
528:
86:
666:
237:
accident. In
December 2001, eight staff at Adventure World, including managers Felix Oehler and Bernhard Gafner were tried for
325:
492:
510:
246:. Two tour guides were found not guilty, the judge declaring it was not their responsibility to cancel the excursion.
17:
656:
583:"Undertaking to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission given for the purposes of Section 87B"
546:
233:
In 2000, Adventure World ceased trading following an incident where an
American tourist was killed in a
226:
expeditions until a full investigation had taken place. A permanent memorial was opened between
564:
396:"Swiss river disaster: Black wall of water swept down the gorge, crushing everyone in its path"
376:
257:
431:
448:
8:
607:
460:
413:
359:
341:
195:
640:
322:
383:
329:
234:
159:
650:
101:
88:
219:
287:
The
Saxetenbridge across the Saxetbach connecting the walkway to Wilderswil
238:
211:
167:
126:
72:
243:
203:
163:
130:
67:
55:
275:
Messages left by family and friends at the
Saxetenbach disaster memorial
227:
175:
155:
199:
142:
198:, just above the village of Saxeten, in which 21 young people from
207:
171:
39:
479:"Memorial service held for victims of Swiss canyoning disaster"
179:
138:
134:
588:. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 2002
529:"Managers deny responsibility for canyoning tragedy"
414:"WorldEurope Swiss try to identify canyon victims"
461:"World Europe Swiss move against danger holidays"
648:
342:"World Europe River disaster kills at least 18"
194:On 27 July 1999, there was an accident in the
318:
316:
314:
493:"Bungee jumping death case to go to court"
311:
565:"Tour firm staff guilty of Swiss deaths"
432:"Criticism grows of disaster gorge trip"
511:"Canyoning trial to open in Interlaken"
14:
649:
360:"World Europe Canyon death toll rises"
166:. It is a left tributary of the river
643:article about the canyoning accident.
547:"Six guilty in Swiss canyon deaths"
377:Victims battered beyond recognition
299:The Saxetbach joining the Lütschine
24:
608:"21 Menschen starben im Saxetbach"
25:
678:
662:Canyons and gorges of Switzerland
630:
449:Profit drive blamed for disaster
292:
280:
268:
256:
189:
38:
667:Landforms of the canton of Bern
600:
575:
557:
539:
521:
503:
485:
471:
170:. It flows through the village
453:
442:
424:
406:
388:
370:
352:
334:
80: • coordinates
13:
1:
304:
263:Saxetenbach disaster memorial
154:is a mountain river south of
62:Physical characteristics
7:
230:and Saxeten in July 2000.
174:and joins the Lütschine in
10:
683:
614:(in German). 26 July 2009
249:
122:
117:
78:
66:
61:
51:
46:
37:
32:
657:Tributaries of the Aare
637:A storm in the distance
382:5 August 2012 at the
328:5 April 2005 at the
178:. It forms a narrow
102:46.65944°N 7.86750°E
27:River in Switzerland
118:Basin features
98: /
612:20 Minuten Online
569:theguardian.co.uk
436:theguardian.co.uk
400:independent.co.uk
196:Saxetenbach Gorge
148:
147:
107:46.65944; 7.86750
18:Saxetenbach Gorge
16:(Redirected from
674:
641:Outside Magazine
624:
623:
621:
619:
604:
598:
597:
595:
593:
587:
579:
573:
572:
561:
555:
554:
543:
537:
536:
525:
519:
518:
507:
501:
500:
489:
483:
482:
475:
469:
468:
457:
451:
446:
440:
439:
428:
422:
421:
410:
404:
403:
392:
386:
374:
368:
367:
356:
350:
349:
338:
332:
320:
296:
284:
272:
260:
113:
112:
110:
109:
108:
103:
99:
96:
95:
94:
91:
42:
30:
29:
21:
682:
681:
677:
676:
675:
673:
672:
671:
647:
646:
633:
628:
627:
617:
615:
606:
605:
601:
591:
589:
585:
581:
580:
576:
563:
562:
558:
545:
544:
540:
527:
526:
522:
509:
508:
504:
491:
490:
486:
477:
476:
472:
459:
458:
454:
447:
443:
430:
429:
425:
412:
411:
407:
394:
393:
389:
384:Wayback Machine
375:
371:
358:
357:
353:
340:
339:
335:
330:Wayback Machine
321:
312:
307:
300:
297:
288:
285:
276:
273:
264:
261:
252:
192:
184:Saxetbach Gorge
106:
104:
100:
97:
92:
89:
87:
85:
84:
81:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
680:
670:
669:
664:
659:
645:
644:
632:
631:External links
629:
626:
625:
599:
574:
556:
538:
520:
502:
484:
470:
452:
441:
423:
405:
387:
369:
351:
333:
309:
308:
306:
303:
302:
301:
298:
291:
289:
286:
279:
277:
274:
267:
265:
262:
255:
251:
248:
235:bungee jumping
191:
188:
160:Canton of Bern
146:
145:
124:
120:
119:
115:
114:
82:
79:
76:
75:
70:
64:
63:
59:
58:
53:
49:
48:
44:
43:
35:
34:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
679:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
654:
652:
642:
638:
635:
634:
613:
609:
603:
584:
578:
570:
566:
560:
552:
548:
542:
534:
530:
524:
516:
512:
506:
498:
494:
488:
480:
474:
466:
462:
456:
450:
445:
437:
433:
427:
419:
415:
409:
401:
397:
391:
385:
381:
378:
373:
365:
361:
355:
347:
343:
337:
331:
327:
324:
319:
317:
315:
310:
295:
290:
283:
278:
271:
266:
259:
254:
253:
247:
245:
240:
236:
231:
229:
223:
221:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
190:1999 accident
187:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
125:
121:
116:
111:
83:
77:
74:
71:
69:
65:
60:
57:
54:
50:
45:
41:
36:
31:
19:
616:. Retrieved
611:
602:
590:. Retrieved
577:
568:
559:
550:
541:
533:swissinfo.ch
532:
523:
515:swissinfo.ch
514:
505:
497:swissinfo.ch
496:
487:
473:
464:
455:
444:
435:
426:
417:
408:
399:
390:
372:
363:
354:
345:
336:
239:manslaughter
232:
224:
216:
212:South Africa
193:
183:
151:
149:
204:New Zealand
164:Switzerland
131:Lake Brienz
123:Progression
105: /
56:Switzerland
651:Categories
323:Case Study
305:References
228:Wilderswil
220:Graubünden
176:Wilderswil
156:Interlaken
90:46°39′34″N
465:bbc.co.uk
418:bbc.co.uk
364:bbc.co.uk
346:bbc.co.uk
200:Australia
168:Lütschine
152:Saxetbach
143:North Sea
127:Lütschine
73:Lütschine
33:Saxetbach
380:Archived
326:Archived
222:region.
93:7°52′3″E
47:Location
618:5 April
592:5 April
551:cnn.com
208:England
172:Saxeten
158:in the
52:Country
250:Photos
182:, the
180:ravine
586:(PDF)
139:Rhine
68:Mouth
620:2013
594:2013
150:The
135:Aare
639:an
244:CHF
653::
610:.
567:.
549:.
531:.
513:.
495:.
463:.
434:.
416:.
398:.
362:.
344:.
313:^
210:,
206:,
202:,
186:.
162:,
141:→
137:→
133:→
129:→
622:.
596:.
571:.
553:.
535:.
517:.
499:.
481:.
467:.
438:.
420:.
402:.
366:.
348:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.