An accident on a climbing course during a family outing claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy on Saturday, June 19 in Argences-en-Aubrac, in Aveyron, the
Center Presse
newspaper revealed
.
The child fell from at least 80 meters.
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The drama took place at midday, around 1:30 p.m., on the route of a via ferrata (hike on a rock wall).
Two hours of research were necessary for a helicopter of the civil security to eventually locate the boy.
When he was taken over by the emergency services, he was in cardiopulmonary arrest.
He died a few minutes later.
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A psychological unit was set up at the scene of the accident to provide support to members of the child's family, extremely shocked by the tragedy, said
Midi Libre
.
A fun activity but not without risks
An investigation was opened by the Rodez prosecutor's office and entrusted to the Aveyron gendarmerie to determine the causes of the fall. According to the first elements,
"the child would have hung on badly, the safety rules would not have been respected"
, according to France Bleu Occitanie. For the investigators it is also a question of determining the degree of responsibility of the manager of the via ferrata which operates in free access.
A fun and tourist activity, the via ferrata is nonetheless risky. On July 6, 2019, a man lost his life while practicing this activity in the Vésubie valley, in Lantosque (Alpes-Maritimes). In August 2018, during an outing on the via ferrata des Saix de Miolène, in La Chapelle-d'Abondance (Haute-Savoie), a Parisian tourist had meanwhile come close to death after a fall of 25 meters.
