Image: How safe are Ubud swings. Credit: Pinterest.

As tourist swings now appear to be popping up everywhere around Ubud, a Frenchman, Patrick Jean Pierre Bouchard, 52, fell from a swing 15 metres into Tegalalang valley and died yesterday.

“The accident occurred while the man was helping his son who was in a swing at a tourist site named Swing Nyemah Teras Ceking near Ubud. He helped to swing the rope and then fell into the ravine, about 15 meters below,” confirmed Tegalalang Police Chief AKP Gede Sukadana, on Thursday (26/7).





The incident began when the man’s child wanted to ride the swing. The man tried to push the swing, but according to witnesses he did not release it when he pushed and the swing dragged him forward and off the cliff. The incident horrified other tourists and the personnel there. Several staff went down and tried to help him, but he was already unconscious with blood coming from his mouth.

The staff took the man to Ari Canti Hospital at Mas Village, Ubud, but he died shortly after in the hospital. “The hospital confirmed that he was dead due to broken chest bones and severe head injuries at around 1.35pm,” Sukadana said to nusabali.com. His body was then taken to Sanglah Hospital.

Update today. (Friday, July 27)

The Gianyar Tourism Office reaction to this accident has been swift. Yesterday, when contacted by nusabali.com head of the office, AA Bagus Ari Brahmanta said his staff had already checked the location. It is already known that location has a number of swings owned by local residents who rented rides to tourists. “There are about 10 swings, without any security measures,” said the official who is familiarly called Gung Ari.

Gung Ari also mentioned there are no size or safety standards for the swings in the area. Therefore, it plans to close the activity of the tourist swing operations. “We are looking at closing them down. This is because security standards do not exist,” he said.

The swings first came to light through Instagram late last year and have multiplied in the Tegalalang valley since.