Police have prosecuted two river pilots and their manager in connection with a tragic accident on Monday, June 29, on the Dunajec river, in north-eastern Slovakia, in which one Czech tourist died and five other people were injured.
Private TV channel Markíza reported on June 30 that several irregularities had come to light. Reportedly, neither of the river pilots had the necessary licence to captain a small vessel. Also, there were, allegedly, more people on board than the rules allow. “Officially, 12 people are allowed to raft at one time, but at the time of accident, there were 16 people on board,” Peter Benko of Stará Ľubovňa police told the ČTK newswire. Rescue workers had earlier stated that there were even more passengers.
The wife of the dead tourist, who was from Litvínov in the Czech Republic, told TV Markíza that they had not been given any safety instructions before the rafting trip, nor had they been given life jackets.
The accident happened on June 29 near Červený Kláštor, when a sudden storm caused the raft to break up. The Czech man, aged 73, died and five other people were injured. The Dunajec flows along the Slovak-Polish border and rafting trips on the river are very popular.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
