According to Dean Boznik of the Nova Gorica Police Administration, the accident happened when a group of seven Polish citizens made their way down the Ucja river and a 48-year-old woman slipped and fell into a river hole.

Two men, a 33-year-old and a 37 year-old, came to her rescue only to become trapped in the water themselves. The rest of the party managed to pull one of the men out of the water and resuscitated him until paramedics arrived, but the man was not brought to life.

The other man and the women were pulled out of the water later.

According to news portal Zurnal24, the group made the trip at their own initiative. Jan Zornik of tourist agency Hydromania explained that no tourist agency was organising activities on the Ucja river because it is too dangerous.

From the year 2000 till the end of June this year, 173 people drowned in Slovenia, most of them in rivers (66), data from the General Police Administration show.