A British woman was shot dead by her companion during a wild boar hunting trip in France in what has been described as a “dramatic” accident, according to a report.
The 67-year-old woman, whose name has not yet been reported, suffered a gunshot wound just above her heart during a hunting trip that consisted of a dozen people on Sunday morning in the Goudelin area of Brittany in northwestern France.
She was rushed to Yves-Le Foll hospital in Saint-Brieuc where she died from a “penetrating wound above the heart,” according to a press release by a prosecutor that was published in the French language Le Télégramme newspaper.
“The hunters were advancing through a field of corn silage when one of them, a 69-year-old man, in circumstances yet to be determined, fired with his shoulder-mounted rifle, barrel pointing towards the back,” the statement read.
“The shot hit his companion… and [the] bullet caused a penetrating wound above the heart.”
An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
It is not known if the alleged shooter was known to the woman or in what circumstances he fired the shot.
A 69-year-old man, from whose rifle the bullet was reportedly discharged, was taken into custody and is being investigated for manslaughter charges.
The alleged shooter was taken to a hospital for medical examination and initial samples showed he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Saint-Brieuc prosecution “should make it possible to quickly determine the cause of the tragic death of the woman”, said the press release.
The autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday.
“It’s a shock for us, it’s a couple we knew well,” said Laurent Le Faucheur, the mayor of Goudelin.
The incident comes months after a teenage hiker accidentally killed a woman while hunting wild boar in February this year. The woman, 25, was walking with a friend on a marked trail in France’s Cantal region when she was hit by a stray bullet and died on the spot.
The accidental killings have sparked a debate over stricter regulations on France’s hunting traditions.
