Zug,30.04.2015

Former EVZ captain killed in road accident in Costa Rica

It is sad to have to report that Duri Camichel, a former captain of the EVZ ice-hockey club, has been killed in a road accident in Costa Rica at the young age of 32. A fellow passenger in the car, trainer Harry Andereggen, 54, was also killed.
 
The two men died after their vehicle was involved in a collision with a lorry as they were heading to Puerto Limon.
Camichel spent most of his ice-hockey career playing for EVZ and rose to become team captain. He left Zug in 2012 to play for the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers club in the canton of St Gallen.
 
On hearing the sad news, Marc Furrer, the president of the Swiss Ice Hockey Association, and Florian Kohler, its CEO, expressed their shock and offered their condolences to the bereaved families.
 
Sports journalist Nicola Berger, who knew Camichel well, was in Prague when he heard the news. Both he and many members of the Swiss National ice-hockey team were very shocked and upset. As EVZ defender Robin Grossmann said later, "The ice-hockey family is a very small one. Each one of us had some connection with both of them."
 
Condolences were expressed to Camichel's mother in particular, as she lost her husband, Werner, to cancer only nine years ago. In 1972 he was an Olympian bob champion.
 
Berger recalled how, on one occasion, when Camichel had not been happy about his reporting, the ice hockey player asked him to bring two packs of beer to the changing rooms, whereafter the matter was forgotten. "This is how he was," said Berger, "always honest, upright and direct, never resentful."
 
The 32-year-old (he would havebeen 33 next Wednesday) was actually captain at EVZ for five years, "a leader with a big heart, who always did his best for his team, not afraid of criticising a referee's decision," as Berger said.
 
Not that sport was the only interest in Camichel's short life. He also concerned himself with social matters and other problems facing the world. While he may have looked the strong man on the ice, there was a fragile side to him, too.
 
Berger recalled how Camichel had earned a lot of money in his career in ice hockey, but there came a time he was no longer interested in possessions and financial security; he became fascinated by the culture and customs of the indigenous people of the Amazonian region of Peru.
 
It seemed as if he had turned his back on Switzerland, much to the disappointment of many of his friends, who became quite concerned for him. He headed to South America, where he felt he could find happiness and fulfilment. Meanwhile, friends and family at home hoped he would return and that life would go on as before.
 
Alas this was not to be.