Swiss tour organisers sentenced over death of American tourist

Adventure World closed after being linked to two fatal accidents Keystone

Two former employees of an adventure sports company have been given five-month suspended sentences for the death of an American tourist, who was killed while bungee jumping.

The former employees of the company, Adventure World – which ceased trading after the incident – were charged with manslaughter through negligence.

The two accused, aged 30 and 25, have not been named in accordance with Swiss law. Both admitted the charge but insisted the incident was an accident.

In addition to the suspended sentences, they were each fined SFr 1,000 ($581) and ordered to pay the court’s costs.

The 22-year-old American tourist plunged to his death last May during a bungee jump organised by Adventure World. A subsequent investigation confirmed that the man had been attached to an elastic cable of the wrong length.

A criminal investigation was later launched against the two staff members involved in organising the jumps in the Bernese Oberland.

Adventure World was also linked to a fatal accident less than a year earlier. In July 1999, 21 people died in a flash flood during a canyoning expedition led by the company.

The two accidents have called into question the responsibilities of companies involved in organising extreme sports activities.

swissinfo with agencies