Death of Tito Traversa

Tito Claudio Traversa (April 22, 2001 – July 5, 2013) was a 12-year-old Italian climber^[1] who died of complications from a climbing accident in which he fell from a height of 50 feet (15 m) to the ground on July 5, 2013.^[2][3][4] An investigation by French officials revealed that his quickdraws were assembled incorrectly, with the carabiners threaded only through the rubber keeper, and not through the full-strength sewn loop at the ends of the quickdraws that are designed to support the climber's weight.^[5] According to public prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, eight out of ten of Traversa’s quickdraws were assembled this way.

Five people were subsequently charged with manslaughter: the owner of the company that produced the rubber keepers without instructions; the owner of the gear shop that sold the keepers; the manager of the club that organized the climbing trip; and two of the instructors who were at the climbing site.^[6]

On May 16, 2018, a court in Turin sentenced Traversa's instructor to two years imprisonment. The owner of the climbing school and the owner of the company that manufactured parts for the quickdraws were acquitted.^[7]