12-year-old British schoolboy dies in Austrian mountains
Tuesday, 19 Feb 2008 13:32
Hayden Waller fell in an area of forest near Mallnitz in Carinthia
A British schoolboy who died after a fall on a mountain in Austria has been named.
Hayden Waller, 12, had been trekking with a group of schoolchildren in an area of forest near Mallnitz in Carinthia yesterday.
An Austrian police spokesperson confirmed that he had loss his footing during the trek and fell 10m.
Hayden died instantly after breaking his neck and suffering head injuries as a result of the fall.
"There were four boys aged between 12 and 14 who tried to reach a hut from which you have a very good view of the area," Herbert Rud, the police spokesman, said.
"Unfortunately they did not use the path, but went across the open area. And they found that the ground got steeper and steeper and stonier and stonier.
"They had not quite reached the hut when they decided to go back down, but two of them fell. One was killed and the other slightly injured," Mr Rud said.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that it had been in contact with local authorities and would provide further assistance if asked.
A spokesman said that the office did not confirm details regarding cases involving minors.