Boy (13) shot dead by grandfather on hunting trip
First weekend of hunt season marred by two deaths
The first weekend of the hunting season in France was marred by two deaths - including a teenage boy who was shot by his grandfather.
The 13-year-old was killed by a rifle shot to the head on Sunday morning during a hunting trip near Luçon in Vendée in the Pays de la Loire region. According to reports, he was accidentally shot by his grandfather when he picked up a bird.
The boy was transported by helicopter to hospital in Nantes but died of his injuries, local police said.
Elsewhere, a 57-year-old man died in an accident while hunting on Saturday in Clans in the Alpes-Maritimes region.
Police said witnesses told them the man had just dismembered the carcass of an animal and, while attempting to throw its viscera from the top of a ravine, lost his balance and fell almost 150 metres. He died of his injuries.
Meanwhile, a man and his 12-year-old son were shot and injured by another hunter on Sunday morning at Collobrières, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
It was initially believed they had suffered life-threatening injuries, but it later emerged that the pair, well known in the area, had suffered less serious wounds.
The shooter said he was aiming at a deer. An inquiry has been opened.
