Tragic Rescue Operation
22-year-old dies after swimming accident in Längsee
A tragic swimming accident in Carinthia ended fatally on Sunday: A 22-year-old man was rescued by emergency responders after 40 minutes underwater—but died shortly afterward at the hospital.
Dramatic scenes unfolded on Sunday afternoon at Lake Längsee in the district of St. Veit an der Glan. A 22-year-old was swimming with a 17-year-old friend from the slide dock toward the buoy island. “According to the police investigation, the 22-year-old is believed to have suddenly gone under about 40 meters from the buoy island due to a sudden loss of strength,” the Carinthia State Police Department reported.
Other swimmers reacted immediately and swam to their aid. The 17-year-old tried several times to dive for his friend but could no longer see or reach him. Despite several attempts to dive, other rescuers were also unable to locate the missing man.
Divers were able to find the young man at a depth of 14 meters
Until the water rescue team arrived, the swimmers kept the completely exhausted 17-year-old afloat. He was subsequently taken to the ELKI Klagenfurt and was physically unharmed. After about 40 minutes, the 22-year-old was finally found and recovered in the murky waters of Lake Längsee at a depth of about 14 meters. “After immediate resuscitation, he was admitted to Klagenfurt Hospital, where he died a short time later,” the police said.
The St. Veit an der Glan Volunteer Fire Department was also on the scene. “We were alerted at 2:11 p.m. In accordance with the emergency protocol for swimming accidents, a diving alert was immediately triggered,” explained Jürgen Sampl, spokesperson for the fire department. “Just 24 minutes after the alarm, four rescue divers were in the water. After about ten minutes of searching, the missing person was finally found at a depth of about 14 meters and brought to the surface. Immediately afterward, initial resuscitation efforts were initiated right on the rescue boat.”
A Stressful Case for Emergency Responders
Such operations are particularly stressful for the responders. “You don’t want anyone to have to fight for their life,” said Sampl. This makes training and camaraderie all the more important after stressful situations. “A very important part is debriefing the operation—what worked, what could be done better.”
Despite the stressful conditions, the operation went smoothly. This makes it all the more tragic for the emergency responders that the young man’s life could not be saved. Such situations are also emotionally taxing for family members and eyewitnesses. “This is, of course, an extremely stressful situation,” said Sampl. That is why the fire department ensures that only experienced personnel are sent directly into particularly stressful operational areas.
The following units were on the scene: Klagenfurt Fire Department, Edling Fire Department, Launsdorf Fire Department, Peratschitzen Fire Department, Rückersdorf Fire Department, St. Veit an der Glan Fire Department, Stein/Jauntal Fire Department, Thalsdorf Fire Department, Völkermarkt Fire Department, ÖWR Est Längsee, ÖWR Taucher Mitte, ÖWR Sitzendorf, ÖWR Krumpendorf, and the police helicopter Libelle Lima
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