On June 17, an accident during a rafting trip on the Guil cost the lives of two people aged around sixty. This is the fourth whitewater tragedy in one week in the southern Alps. This deadly start to the season is explained in particular by the flow of the rivers which is very strong.
The whitewater dramas continue. After a particularly deadly week, with three deaths, the series continues this June 17. A rafting accident occurred on the Guil, in the commune of Château-Ville-Vieille. A group of ten tourists of Czech nationality, spread over two boats, required the intervention of firefighters, Smur and the mountain rescue unit. In this accident, not supervised by professionals, two people aged around sixty lost their lives. A first victim was declared dead on the spot, the second at the hospital. An investigation was opened to determine the causes of death.
Over the past week, accidents in white water have increased. On June 10, a 73-year-old Irishman lost his life in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the town of Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, during a kayaking trip. The next day, in the Durance, between Briançon and the place called Le Villaret, an English kayaker was found dead during a group outing. On June 16, the week ended with a new death. In the town of Vallouise, a kayaker found himself in difficulty on the Gyr, near the EDF Vallouise dam. Despite the intervention of firefighters who tried to resuscitate the 62-year-old victim, he was declared dead.
Last week, following this succession of white water accidents, Thomas Pascal, president of the national union of professional canoe kayak guides and associated disciplines, warned practitioners, given the more difficult navigation conditions. The reason is the high flow of water. Following record snowfall in the Écrins massif and on the Italian border, significant precipitation accumulations and late ice melt, the river is a dangerous playground. He explains that the difficulty comes mainly from the violence of the water movements which are not in the places where we usually expect them. “For example, a rock that usually comes out of the water and poses no problem will be covered and behind it, creating a movement of water that can be violent and trap a kayaker.”illustrates the president.
Before each river trip, it is recommended to find out from local professionals and clubs, on flow conditions, routes which may have changed with the dynamics of the river. A route that can usually be easy and accessible, becomes very high level, with current flow rates.
