Drowning in the Ill River

Three Dead! Current Pulled Swimmers Underwater

It was an extremely emotionally taxing operation for everyone involved.(Bild: Bernd Hofmeister)

Three people died on Sunday in a tragic swimming accident on the Ill River near Bludenz in Vorarlberg. The youngest victim was only ten years old. The father (40) and an acquaintance (22) also drowned. The tragedy occurred below a waterfall.

They had gone to a popular wild swimming spot to cool off—and were torn from life in an unimaginably tragic way. Early Sunday evening, around 5:30 p.m., a 10-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man jumped together from the edge of a waterfall into the pool below on the Ill River, where the boy’s father (40) was already swimming.

Shortly thereafter, disaster struck: All three swimmers were swept up by a powerful current and dragged to the bottom of the river—the Ill is about 2.5 meters deep at this point. Due to the enormous suction, they had no chance of resurfacing. 

Dramatic Rescue Operation
The father-in-law had to watch from the bank as the trio was literally swallowed up by the Ill. The man immediately jumped into the river and, summoning all his strength, managed to pull his unconscious son-in-law out of the current. Shortly afterward, another first responder spotted the 22-year-old’s motionless body and pulled him to the bank—despite immediate resuscitation efforts, the young man died at the scene.

The father also fought in vain to survive
The 10-year-old boy was discovered several minutes later, about 300 meters downstream, by a passerby and was rescued from the water with the help of two other people. After receiving initial treatment at the scene, the 10-year-old was flown by rescue helicopter to Feldkirch Regional Hospital, where he died later that evening. His 40-year-old father was also taken to the same hospital—he fought for his life for hours before succumbing to his severe injuries on Monday morning. 

Major Rescue Operation
The accident triggered a large-scale emergency response. In total, more than 180 personnel from four fire departments, the water rescue team, the police, the Red Cross, the police helicopter “Libelle,” and a rescue helicopter were on the scene. A large contingent from the crisis intervention team also provided support to the victims’ families, bystanders, and emergency responders following the traumatic accident.

What is a water roller?

A water roller is a dangerous phenomenon in flowing bodies of water. It occurs when, directly below a fast-flowing or dropping ledge—such as a waterfall—a portion of the water at the surface flows back against the direction of the current toward the ledge, where it is swept up again by the main current—hence the term “roller.” Even excellent swimmers can hardly escape the immense cyclical current of such a water roller on their own.

How could this have happened?
As great as the shock over the tragedy is, the question of the exact circumstances still arises. The swimming area is located at the confluence of the Alvier and the Ill and is heavily frequented, especially on hot days. There are several hydroelectric power plants along the Ill, which can cause a rapid rise in the water level—though according to an initial assessment by the Vorarlberg Water Rescue Service, the water level on Sunday was not unusually high. Even the thunderstorms in the Montafon region, accompanied by heavy rain, reportedly had no significant impact on the water level. In general, the Ill is currently experiencing low water levels due to the ongoing drought. The exact causes of the accident are now the subject of an investigation.