Name: Marc Sutton
Âge: 34
Address: 74 Haute-Savoie
Date: 13.10.2018
Incident: Person killed
Activity: Cycling
Unfortunately, Marc is not here to tell his own story. As he was riding down a well-known bike path from Montriond, Morzine, Marc was fatally shot by a 22-year-old hunter. Marc wore a bright colored helmet and the visibility was 100%.
Marc was enthusiastic, ambitious, adventurous, athletic, and a chef in his professional life. He was our friend. His death devastated the community of Morzine and shocked the country.
Marc loved nature, he was at home in the French mountains. He was very well integrated with the local community. He was happy foraging for wild mushrooms and his knowledge of the local flora allowed him to create new recipes for his recently opened Wild Beets restaurant. He was eager to get outdoors, be on his bike or snowboard and enjoy life at every moment. He loved France, he loved long walks and picnics with his friends and family. He was well aware of the practice of hunting.
This young man, full of life, went for a bike ride and never came home.
What happened to him could happen to any of us.
The 22-year-old hunter, charged with manslaughter aggravated by a deliberate breach of safety, said his shot was aimed at a boar that "fell at his feet". The young age of this hunter, the fact that he was shooting such a powerful weapon in a place accessible to the public, that the whole area of the Hunt was not clearly signposted; all this indicates a more general problem of a total lack of safety rules and regulations.
Legislation or rules could have been put in place to prevent Marc's death. Of course, it's too late for Marc, but if his story can save other lives, we may be able to make some sense of it.