Two face charges over Spain bungee jump death
Two people are facing charges of manslaughter over the death of a British woman who died bungee-jumping in Spain.
Kleyo De Abreu, 23, from London, was killed on 21 July in Lanjaron, Granada, while jumping from the Tablate Bridge.
The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation against the owner of an adventure company and a bungee jump supervisor with her death.
A statement from Spain’s national police force said on the day of De Abreu’s death, a single supervisor was responsible for a group of 14 young people. The supervisor’s duties included monitoring security, assembling ropes, harnesses, timings and authorising the jumps.
The supervisor had been left to monitor 14 people taking part in the bungee jump, which was "not enough" to guarantee customer safety, police said.
The monitor's role was to secure the ropes and harness before authorising the person to jump.
After attaching the harness to Ms De Abreu, the supervisor moved away to tighten the ropes, and there was believed to have been a "lack of communication or understanding" and Ms De Abreu jumped before being given the order.
Ms De Abreu had already jumped from the bridge once and died on her second attempt, apparently hitting the wall of a smaller, older bridge below.
Ms De Abreu, an aspiring fashion student from Brixton, had been visiting her aunt in Spain, who was watching when the accident happened.
Speaking after her death, her father, Bernard Atwell, said: “Every father will say this, but she was very special. She was a very beautiful young woman who had all her life ahead of her.”
Bungee jumps at the site cost €35 and usually include a video of the experience with the option to have a second jump on the same day for just €15.
The jumps take place over a 250 ft ravine above the old Puente de Tablate where thrill seekers dive backwards and freefall 60 ft until the bungee cord stops their fall and they come springing back up again.
The site is near the town of Lanjarón in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about an hour’s drive south of Granada.
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Kleyo De Abreu, 23, from London, was killed on 21 July in Lanjaron, Granada, while jumping from the Tablate Bridge.
The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation against the owner of an adventure company and a bungee jump supervisor with her death.
A statement from Spain’s national police force said on the day of De Abreu’s death, a single supervisor was responsible for a group of 14 young people. The supervisor’s duties included monitoring security, assembling ropes, harnesses, timings and authorising the jumps.
The supervisor had been left to monitor 14 people taking part in the bungee jump, which was "not enough" to guarantee customer safety, police said.
The monitor's role was to secure the ropes and harness before authorising the person to jump.
After attaching the harness to Ms De Abreu, the supervisor moved away to tighten the ropes, and there was believed to have been a "lack of communication or understanding" and Ms De Abreu jumped before being given the order.
Ms De Abreu had already jumped from the bridge once and died on her second attempt, apparently hitting the wall of a smaller, older bridge below.
Ms De Abreu, an aspiring fashion student from Brixton, had been visiting her aunt in Spain, who was watching when the accident happened.
Speaking after her death, her father, Bernard Atwell, said: “Every father will say this, but she was very special. She was a very beautiful young woman who had all her life ahead of her.”
Bungee jumps at the site cost €35 and usually include a video of the experience with the option to have a second jump on the same day for just €15.
The jumps take place over a 250 ft ravine above the old Puente de Tablate where thrill seekers dive backwards and freefall 60 ft until the bungee cord stops their fall and they come springing back up again.
The site is near the town of Lanjarón in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about an hour’s drive south of Granada.
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