Four Ukrainiens Died in Rafting Accident -TNP

25.07.2010 - Heidal

Four Ukrainiens Died in Rafting Accident

The Norwegian police announced that four Ukrainian people were drowned in Sjoa river in Heidal. Two of them were quickly confirmed dead, while two others died at hospital.

Photo : AbinoamJr | Normally, the rafting operators near the river organize their activities only if the river level is medium or low. However, the Ukrainian group did rafting when the river level is very high.

The Norwegian police confirmed that four people were found dead on Saturday night and the victims are part of a 12-persons-Ukrainian group that came for rafting in the river, wrote the region's newspaper Gudbrandsdalen Dagningen.

- Ukrainians were not well equipped for rafting and they had only small catamaran boats of unknown product. There were two people in each of the boats and all boats went around the river , "said police officer Asbjørn Viktstad to the newspaper.

Nine people Survived

Police officers also noted that they had difficulties to communicate because the Ukrainians speak almost no English. After the investigation, the police determined that the whole group living in a tent somewhere in Sjodalen and the number. It was also reported that the river level in the region where the accident occured is 10 centimeters higher than the local rafting companies. For this reason , many people do not arrange rafting trips in that part of the river now.

Ukraine's Ambassador Visited the Survivors

Ukraine's ambassador to Norway visited the nine survivors of the rafting accident at the hospital. Ambassador Oleksandr Tsvietkov had a long chat with them and with the crisis team and the ones having worked to save his citizens.