Death by bungee jump: Woman, 23 supervised by an inexperienced instructor who had been DRINKING? - Continentalinquirer

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Thursday, 23 July 2015

Death by bungee jump: Woman, 23 supervised by an inexperienced instructor who had been DRINKING?


  • British holidaymaker Kleyo de Abreu died in a bungee-jumping accident 
  • The 23-year-old was killed instantly after smashing into a stone bridge
  • Reports suggest instructor may have been drinking prior to the accident
  • Group ran out of water in 35C heat so drank beer instead, sources say 
  • Supervisor may also have been only in high-pressure job for two months
A young British woman who died bungee jumping in southern Spain was being supervised by an inexperienced instructor who'd been drinking shortly before the accident, it has been claimed.
Kleyo de Abreu, 23, was killed instantly after jumping off a modern bridge near the mountain village of Lanjaron and smashing into the old stone Tablate Bridge below. 
The horrific incident took place at around 2.45pm on Tuesday afternoon and left Miss de Abreu dangling lifeless from the rope for 25 minutes as her aunt watched on in horror.
It has now been alleged that the man in charge of the bungee jump had only been in the job for two months and had been drinking beer shortly before Miss de Abreu's tragic accident.
Family: Kleyo de Abreu, 23, is pictured with her father Bernard Atwell. Mr Atwell said relatives are in shock at the death of his daughter, who he described as 'sweet, caring, bubbly and focused'
Family: Kleyo de Abreu, 23, is pictured with her father Bernard Atwell. Mr Atwell said relatives are in shock at the death of his daughter, who he described as 'sweet, caring, bubbly and focused'
Tragic: Kleyo de Abreu died after crashing into a bridge as she bungee-jumped in front of her aunt
Tragic: Kleyo de Abreu died after crashing into a bridge as she bungee-jumped in front of her aunt
Danger: The spot Kleyo jumped from - a 20-year-old metallic bridge crossing high above the River Tablate - is around 260 feet above an ancient Roman bridge which she smashed into
An investigation was launched into the incident yesterday amid claims that the accident happened after a miscalculation relating to the length of the bungee rope.
But fresh details have now emerged that are expected to be taken into account during the enquiry.
Chief among these is the unconfirmed allegation that the as-yet-unidentified instructor may have been drinking prior to the Miss de Abreu making her fatal leap.

Having run out of water in 35C temperatures, the instructor encouraged the group of bungee jumpers to start drinking beer instead, an unnamed source told the Telegraph.
'He ran out of bottles of water and told everyone he could sell them beer instead. So he started drinking beer with the people from the group,' the source was quoted as saying. 
Shortly afterwards Miss de Abreu is said to have jumped before the apparently inexperienced instructor had carried out a proper check on the ropes.
'She was ready and he walked across to the other end to check the rope was fastened safely but she jumped anyway. This was a tragic communication error,' the source, who is understood to be an instructor who worked in the area, reportedly added.
According to witnesses, Kleyo was left dangling lifeless from the rope for 25 minutes in front of her aunt
According to witnesses, Kleyo was left dangling lifeless from the rope for 25 minutes in front of her aunt

The 23-year-old  was killed instantly after smashing into the old stone Tablate Bridge during the jump
Specialist rescuers took 25 minutes to reach Kleyo but could only pronounce her dead after freeing her
Specialist rescuers took 25 minutes to reach Kleyo but could only pronounce her dead after freeing her

Speaking of the tragic accident, a spokesman for the Guardia Civil in Granada said: 'Although it is too early to draw any conclusions about the circumstances of the death, one of the lines of inquiry is that there was a miscalculation with the rope.'
There was no comment on the unconfirmed reports about the instructor's experience or whether he or Miss de Abreu had been drinking prior to the tragedy. The owner of the bungee jumping firm, thought to be a local PE teacher, was also unavailable for comment. 
Tablate Bridge has a drop of 262ft and is a popular bungee jumping site used by several adventure sports firms. Thrill-seekers fall for about 65ft and swing underneath the bridge, with a first jump offered for around €35 (£24.50).
The spot Miss de Abreu jumped from - a 20-year-old metallic bridge crossing high above the River Tablate - is around 260 feet above an ancient Roman bridge which she smashed into.
One website claims that bungee jumping from the bridge is a 'hair-raising' experience due to the closeness of the ravine walls during the fall.
Another boasts: 'If you want a huge dose of adrenaline this is your bridge.'
Yesterday a worker at another specialist company which does bungee-jumping from the same bridge said the firm at the centre of the tragedy advertised jumps with the offer of alcoholic drinks.
The worker, who did not want to be named, said it was normal for beer cans to be left on the bridge after the company organised jumps, and described the combination of alcohol and bungee-jumping as 'worrying.'
Aspiring fashion and design student Kleyo De Abreu, 23, from Brixton, south London, was killed at around 3pm on Tuesday in Lanjaron, Granada
Aspiring fashion and design student Kleyo De Abreu, 23, from Brixton, south London, was killed at around 3pm on Tuesday in Lanjaron, Granada
Location: Kleyo de Abreu was killed instantly after bungee jumping off the top steel bridge and smashing into an old stone Tablate Bridge below near the mountain village of Lanjaron
Picturesque: Lanjaron lies about 35 miles from the city of Granada and is famous for its mineral water
Yesterday Miss de Abreu's father Bernard Atwell said relatives are in shock at the death of the aspiring fashion and design student, who he described as 'sweet, caring, bubbly and focused'.
He said his daughter had been visiting her aunt Gabriela and cousins in southern Spain after travelling in Morocco.
'She was originally from London and had returned recently from living in Cape Town in South Africa to follow her passion and study fashion,' he explained.
'My primary concern is for people when they are just having fun...My daughter is gone and nothing is going to bring her back, but I have spoken to the family and we are all on the same page - we don't want something like this to happen again,' he added.
'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... She was 23 years old but to me she will always be my little baby and I would very much like to make sure this doesn't happen again to anybody else,' he went on. 
Miss de Abreu and Mr Atwell were only reunited last year after more than 20 years apart, according to the Sun.
Lanjaron is about 35 miles from Granada on the southern flanks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is famous in Spain for its mineral water. 
The region is popular with expats and near to the hippy village of Orgiva, which attracts people living alternative lifestyles from all over the world.

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