Staff Writer
A CAPE TOWN mother has taken on the UK bungee jumping regulations after the death of her daughter, a local student killed in the extreme sport while on holiday in Spain.
Using a petition, the family of Kleyo de Abreu, 23, has called for members of the UK parliament and government to work with other EU member states to tackle unregulated and unskilled operators.
De Abreu was killed last year when she jumped off a bridge and struck the side wall of a smaller, lower bridge below.
An investigation was launched into the tragedy and the BBC reported later that Spanish law enforcement had charged the owner of an adventure company and a bungee jump supervisor with her death.
An investigation found there was miscommunication between the supervisor and De Abreu, who jumped before the equipment had been made safe.
De Abreu, a British national, was a former 3D design student at CPUT.
Her mother, Filomena de Abreu, said yesterday she wanted the prevention of deaths in the extreme sport to be her daughter’s legacy.
“We want to do this so it doesn’t happen to anyone else. The important thing now is to get the petition through.
“She went to visit her godparents in Spain and now she’s gone. We are still devastated,” she said.
She appealed for any South Africans with family or friends in the UK to assist by signing the petition.
Her father, Bernard Atwell, based in the UK, said: “The name of the activity which killed my daughter is ‘extreme sports’. I believe that this should also be accompanied with ‘extreme skills’.
“In many locations across Europe, staff at these sites have little or no ‘extreme skills’. The staff are simply not qualified to take into their hands the lives of those enthusiasts for financial benefit.”
“My sole intention is to ensure that this most painful and harrowing situation does not befall another innocent, another parent, another family.”
The petition can be found at: http://change4kleyo.org/