“Fall” from rocks was suicide attempt

24 April 2007

DINANT – What at first seemed a terrible accident on Monday was in fact a suicide attempt. The man and his 8-year-old son found on the Freyr rocks in Dinant on Tuesday wanted to commit suicide, say the authorities in Bergen.

The father from St-Ghislain and his 8-year-old son were found after the boy’s mother called police. Her husband had phoned her and said he was planning to drive his car into a wall in order to kill himself and his son.

The police were able to locate the man via the signal from his mobile phone, according to the public prosecution department in Dinant.

When emergency workers arrived they found the man’s car at the top of the Freyr cliff. At the foot of the rocks they found the seriously injured child. The man was pulled from the Meus river with serious injuries a little while later.

The eight-year-old died of his injuries shortly after being admitted to hospital. The father was taken by helicopter to the hospital in Namur where he is still in critical condition.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news