SWITZERLAND: CANYONING TRAGEDY VICTIMS: MEMORIAL SERVICE

(5 Aug 1999) English/Nat A memorial service has been held at the resort town of Interlaken for the Australian victims of the Swiss canyoning tragedy. Exactly a week after the disaster, Australia's governor-general Sir William Deane joined relatives to drop sprigs of wattle - the Australian national flower - into the Saxeten brook. Meanwhile, Swiss police have said they are extending a formal investigation into the guides from last week's fatal canyoning tour to include the organiser's chief guide. In a touching ceremony to express the nation's sorrow, Australian governor-general Sir William Deane joined family and friends of the victims of last Tuesday's tragedy. He comforted the bereaved as they gathered on a wooden footbridge downstream from the accident site. The governor-general had brought sprigs of wattle - the Australian national flower - with him from his own garden. During the ceremony, family members - helped by Sir William - cast the bright yellow flowers into the slow moving stream. Many wept as they tossed the flowers from the bridge and watched them drift away. Twenty-one people were killed when they were swept away in a flash flood during the canyoning excursion last Tuesday. Fourteen of them came from Australia - including a Briton who had made the country his home. And the governor-general said he had brought a message of support from the whole of Australia for the grieving relatives. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I think they wanted it to be private..." (Q - What did you say to them?) "Well, essentially what I said to them was that I brought with me the wishes, the profound sorrow and the deep sympathy of all of Australia and I thank the Swiss authorities, the support people, the rescue people and everyone else for the extraordinary job they've done. Thank you." SUPER CAPTION: Australian Governor-general Sir William Deane Swiss police have now extended a formal investigation into the guides from last week's fatal canyoning tour to include the organiser's chief guide. Three other guides who went with the group of 45 vacationers were among the dead. Managers of Adventure World, the Interlaken-based firm that organised the excursion, say their guides received tough training that included coping with flood conditions. A memorial service will be held in the central Alpine resort of Interlaken on Thursday, again attended by Sir William Deane and also Swiss Vice President Adolf Ogi. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/52458472451dbd55d38bd41dc7170519

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