Tragedy at Damajagua

[Fiesta Mama]

What horrible news and to think their poor children were left alone in the country to have to deal with everything. Are the 27 waterfalls the same as Damajagua falls?

[Thandie]

Originally Posted by Fiesta Mama

Are the 27 waterfalls the same as Damajagua falls?

Yes.............

[Cheetah]

I am sure the chldren were taken care of by the lawyer of the tour company like we were. He quickly got to us and brought us to the police station for a police report. He did all the talking and in the end the police report said my son died by accidental drowning while swimming with his father at Damajagua river. The lawyer told me it was best he said that otherwise if I had blamed the tour company they would keep me overnight at the police station for questioning.

I hope these boys were treated better than we were.

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by Thandie

BTW the liscenced tour guides just take you to the falls. They do not guide or supervise you while you are climbing the falls. Tour guides rarely even step foot into the falls. The water guys do... who from what I know dont have to have any specific training or certification.

Rules of the falls: 'All visitors must be accompanied by a guide.
Obey all rules and warnings issued by the guide' etc Click on 'rules' here:
http://www.27charcos.com/index.php

The Puerto Plata Habla piece names the guide, I assume this was one of the 'water guys', does anyone know? If you click on testimonials there is one with the same first name FWIW.

Cheetah, empathies, this must drag it all back for you. The children of the deceased are aged 19 & 16 & the newspaper (in Spanish) says Cesar de los Santos (local Secretary of Tourism) took them back to the hotel. There is also a very caring North Coast US Consular agent, who might well have been involved in helping as well.

[Chirimoya]

They are going to have to review procedures there. I haven't visited but what would need to be done to prevent something like this from happening again?

Is the Peace Corps still directly involved in training guides etc.?

[swellsurfcampcabarete]

Can't it be as simple as the falls being closed unless there have been 5 consecutively dry days? We have not let our visitors go unless this is the case. Having said that, I have no idea who would be able to monitor that successfully. It's a terrible tragedy and our sympathy is both with the boys and with Adam's father who must feel as though he is being dragged back in time.

[Bob K]

I kmow for a fact the boys were very well taken care of (not by the tour lawyer) and currently are on thier way back to the US.

Bob K

[MRJone]

This sure was a tragic incident. I send my condolences to the boys and hopefully we won't hear of such a similar occurrence again at Damajuana.

[InsanelyOne]

What's up with posting pics of the bodies on the internet? That's pretty disgusting!!

[dv8]

those pictures are pretty decent by dominican standards. i have seen more graphic images than that...