Saxeten

Infobox Swiss town
subject_name = Saxeten
municipality_name = Saxeten
municipality_type = municipality
imagepath_coa = Saxeten-coat of arms.svg


languages = German
canton = Berne
iso-code-region = CH-BE
district = Interlaken
lat_d=46|lat_m=38|lat_NS=N|long_d=7|long_m=50|long_EW=E
postal_code = 3813
municipality_code = 0591
area = 19.2
elevation = 1103|elevation_description=
population = 129|populationof = January 2005 | popofyear = 2005
website = www.saxeten.ch
mayor = |mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
places =
demonym =
neighboring_municipalities= Aeschi bei Spiez, Därligen, Lauterbrunnen, Leissigen, Wilderswil
twintowns = |clearright

Saxeten is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

It is located near the center of the Bödeli watershed.

The name Saxeten probably goes back to the Latin form "saxata" (rocky point).

The Saxetenbach flows through Saxeten, before it joins the Lütschine in Wilderswil.

Saxeten is the starting point of a number of routes: the Suls-Lobhorn-Hütte, over the Rengglipass to Aeschiried, and through Wilderswil to the Schynige Platte.

Saxetenbach Disaster

On July 27, 1999, there was an accident in the Saxetenbach canyon, just above the village of Saxeten, in which 21 young people from Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, and Switzerland died.

48 people from 2 coach tour parties had opted to do a side activity of canyoning where you float, swim and climb through an area, such as a gorge. It was organised by Adventure World, a now defunct company who were located in Wilderswil, not far from Saxeten.

At 6pm, flash floods began pouring through the gorge and 21 people within the group were swept to their deaths. 18 were tourists and 3 were canyon guides. By 7pm, the stories had hit the world's news screens, and the hotels people were staying in were bombarded with phone calls, but the staff only saw what was on television [ [http://www.docleaf.com/critique/case%20study.doc Case Study] ] .

The survivors were rescued and then questioned by Swiss Polizei before being released and returned to their hotel at 1am the next morning. Until then they had no idea how many people had died nor the enormity of the disaster [ [http://www.docleaf.com/critique/case%20study.doc Case Study] ] .

Identifying the dead bodies was a serious problem for the Swiss authorities, the bodies were badly trauamtised. 11 survivors opted to go and identify the dead at the mortuary, but many had to be identified through DNA and dental analysis [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1999/07/30/fhead_5.htm Victims battered beyond recognition] ] [ [http://www.docleaf.com/critique/case%20study.doc Case Study] ] .

Families were desperate to see for themselves what had happened, and Swissair along with Swiss medical services provided meet & greet sessions for families, and also much councelling for those who had been present [ [http://www.docleaf.com/critique/case%20study.doc Case Study] ] .

Bodies of the dead washed up in Lake Brienz, a popular boating lake during peak Summer tourist season.

Since the incident, there has been much rumour released into the press about what happened. Emergency services claim they sent someone to tell the group of the impending storms, and families of the dead claim that the company should have seen the signs of the weather. Swiss authorities were quick to blame profit making and general negligence as the cause of the accident [ [http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/aug1999/swss-a06.shtml Profit drive blamed for disaster] ] .

Some years on, Adventure World have gone out of business their former permises now occupied by a Bank. 8 former employees of the firm have been charged with manslaughter [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-24509977.html Eight to be charged] ] .

References

External links

* [http://www.bielertagblatt.ch/dossier.cfm?serien_id=80&id=1615&job=7008261&k
]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/405497.stm BBC Saxetenbach Disaster]