Swiss Alps Canyoning Disaster 1999

This is the story of an accident that occurred while on a guided tour in a canyon in the Swiss Alps. It is one of the worst accidents in history. On 27 July 1999, an accident occurred in Saxetbach Gorge (a gorge close to the village of Saxeten). It was a tragedy that the survivors are still trying to cope with this day.

The wall of water killed 19 people, including three guides, to their death. Two more are still missing. Four of the dead were women. At least one was from Britain. Others came from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. The judge who presided over the trial watched by victims’ parents and friends from Australia, Britain and South Africa, convicted the defendants of allowing a canyoning trip to go ahead despite poor weather. He acquitted two surviving guides. The eight associates of the former tour operator Adventure World were charged with manslaughter through culpable negligence for the deaths of 18 tourists and three guides in the flash flood.