A British woman has tragically passed away following a white-water rafting accident in the beautiful yet perilous French Alps. The incident transpired shortly after noon local time on Saturday while she was navigating the Guisane river, situated in the town of Briançon in south-eastern France, as reported by regional prosecutor Marion Lozac'hmeur to AFP.
Emergency services soon discovered the woman on the riverbank and rushed her to a local hospital, where she was admitted with serious injuries. Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday evening. The Foreign Office has confirmed the occurrence and is currently assisting local authorities regarding the matter.
The victim was participating in a guided rafting trip and fell from her raft while traversing a segment of the river known colloquially as "the wallet." To protect her identity and out of respect for her family, no further details about the woman have been released by either local media outlets or officials in France and the UK.
In light of this devastating event, an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter has been initiated, with plans for an autopsy to follow, according to Lozac'hmeur. This incident is not isolated; last year, a British man also lost his life while kayaking on the river Durance, which flows adjacent to Briançon. That tragedy occurred in June 2024 as a result of challenging conditions created by heavy snowmelt upstream, although two other individuals managed to escape unharmed.
Both the Guisane and Durance rivers are well-known destinations for white-water rafting, sustained by glacial and snowmelt waters during springtime. They feature sections with demanding rapids, and experts advise that they are typically navigable only for a short window of two to three months each early summer.
Emergency services soon discovered the woman on the riverbank and rushed her to a local hospital, where she was admitted with serious injuries. Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday evening. The Foreign Office has confirmed the occurrence and is currently assisting local authorities regarding the matter.
The victim was participating in a guided rafting trip and fell from her raft while traversing a segment of the river known colloquially as "the wallet." To protect her identity and out of respect for her family, no further details about the woman have been released by either local media outlets or officials in France and the UK.
In light of this devastating event, an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter has been initiated, with plans for an autopsy to follow, according to Lozac'hmeur. This incident is not isolated; last year, a British man also lost his life while kayaking on the river Durance, which flows adjacent to Briançon. That tragedy occurred in June 2024 as a result of challenging conditions created by heavy snowmelt upstream, although two other individuals managed to escape unharmed.
Both the Guisane and Durance rivers are well-known destinations for white-water rafting, sustained by glacial and snowmelt waters during springtime. They feature sections with demanding rapids, and experts advise that they are typically navigable only for a short window of two to three months each early summer.
