Hunt turns deadly in western Switzerland

The two hunters who opened fire were Swiss nationals, aged 67 and 80, living in the region. Police were unable to say which of them was responsible for the fatal shot. Keystone-SDA

A 64-year-old man was killed during a hunting trip on Friday afternoon in canton Vaud in western Switzerland. A member of the hunting party fatally shot him while attempting to shoot a wild boar, in circumstances yet to be clarified.

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A group of seven hunters got together to track down a herd reported by the game warden in Oulens-sous-Echallens, the Vaud police reported on Saturday.

The boars were located in an inaccessible area, covered by brambles. One of the hunters attempted to dislodge the beasts with “tracking” shots, after the engagement of dogs failed to produce the expected results.

Then another hunter fired at an animal put to flight by the previous shots (without injuring it). But one of the shots fatally wounded a hunter who was standing by. The victim was a 60-year-old man from canton Fribourg. Paramedics on the scene were only able to pronounce him dead.

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The two hunters who opened fire were Swiss nationals, aged 67 and 80, living in the region. Police were unable to say which of them was responsible for the fatal shot. Both men were interviewed in the presence of a lawyer. When questioned by Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA, the cantonal police spokesman indicated that breathalyser tests had been carried out, which revealed nothing abnormal.

Warning

The public prosecutor has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the death. The investigations have been entrusted to the personnel of the security police.

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The police remind the public that a shot should only be fired when the hunter has accurately identified the target animal and has ensured that the shot will not endanger others either directly or by ricochet. The law also prohibits shooting to dislodge game.

Translated from French by DeepL/ds

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