Tragedy background

Fatal test of new equipment in the lake

The first two divers from the fire department who entered the water in Feldkirchen were able to quickly find and rescue the injured golf ball diver(Bild: Markus Schütz)

Some questions remain forever unanswered after the diving tragedy in Feldkirchen an der Donau. One of the most experienced divers in Upper Austria - he was a frogman with the Voest professional fire department and previously also worked as a teacher and instructor - drowned while retrieving golf balls. One thing is certain: he was testing new equipment.

Why did the professional diver Manfred H. (55) from Perg have a fatal accident at a depth of just four meters? The man from Perg had thousands of dives behind him, was an instructor and diver with the Voest fire department and was also prepared for dangerous situations. Nevertheless, he drowned in the Mühldorfer Weiher pond in Feldkirchen an der Donau while retrieving golf balls. These are cleaned and resold - a lucrative business model, there are even contractual partners for golf clubs. According to the golf club vice-president, three to five balls are lost per round in Feldkirchen - and quite a few end up in the ponds on and around the course.