Drama in Lake Wolfgangsee

Father drowned in front of his children

More than 100 emergency services from the fire department, Red Cross, water rescue and police were deployed on Lake Wolfgangsee.(Bild: AFK Mondsee/Stoxreiter)

He wanted to get his three children from the lake to the shore in time before the approaching storm. A Czech man may have overextended himself in the process. He sank into Lake Wolfgangsee five meters from the jetty in front of his children and drowned.

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Thursday, the fire department divers from bases 3 (Gmunden district) and 4 (Vöcklabruck district) were alerted to a "personal water rescue", reports Christian Stoxreiter from the Mondsee section fire brigade command.

Cooperation across federal states
The Upper Austrian fire department divers supported the divers from Salzburg Water Rescue and the emergency services from the Abersee, St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang fire departments in the search for the father of the family who had gone under.

Suddenly drowned
The man was swimming with his children in Lake Wolfgangsee in the Abersee area and had accompanied them while they were sitting on an inflatable paddle boat (SUP). A thunderstorm came up and he allegedly wanted to get the children out of the water quickly. He suddenly sank five meters from the jetty. During the diving operation, the Czech - who is said to be between 40 and 45 years old - was found and rescued at a depth of eight meters using a diving search chain.

More than 100 emergency services from the fire department, Red Cross, water rescue and police were deployed on Lake Wolfgang.(Bild: AFK Mondsee/Stoxreiter)

Major operation
The Flachgau fire department drone, water rescue and fire department boats and the ÖAMTC emergency ambulance were also involved in the search operation. More than 100 emergency services from the fire department, Red Cross, water rescue and police were deployed.