Qld: Family seeks probe into canyoning deaths

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2001
Qld: Family seeks probe into canyoning deaths

By Paul Osborne

BRISBANE, April 2 AAP - The family of an Australian man killed in the 1999 Swiss canyoning
tragedy has called for an inquiry by the national consumer watchdog.

Sandra Peel, whose son Billy, 27, was one of 14 Australians killed in a July 31 flash
flood while canyoning near the Alpine resort of Interlaken, said today Prime Minister
John Howard's office had advised her to seek an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
inquiry.

She said she had asked for the inquiry to centre on travel company Contiki, through
which Billy had booked his European tour.

Mrs Peel, from Mackay in Queensland, alleged Contiki did not fulfil its duty of care
when her son entered into a contract with them.

"Other families are very upset with Contiki, but (Contiki) said it was not their responsibility,"

she said in a telephone interview.

Mrs Peel said her son and two friends were given three adventure tour options but could
not go on two of them because they were not covered in their travel insurance.

"There was no other option for them that afternoon," he said.

Contiki was unavailable for comment today.

In October last year, a Swiss examining magistrate announced that five guides and three
officials from the tour company Adventure World, which organised the canyoning trip, had
been charged with negligent homicide.

Swiss police said the people charged had been accused of leading a canyoning trip into
the Saxet brook despite the dangers posed by a thunderstorm breaking over the Saxet valley.

Mrs Peel said she planned to attend the court case and was waiting for a date to be set.

A total of 21 people were killed in the canyoning activity, which involved sliding,
jumping and rappelling down ravines and into rivers without a raft.

Adventure World has since closed down after a series of incidents, including the death
of a bungee jumper.

AAP pjo/sc/was/br e

KEYWORD: SWISS RIVER (CARRIED EARLIER)

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