"I thought he was dead"

Man Rescued from the Traun River Using a Stand-Up Paddleboard

The water in the Traun River was only seven degrees when a 39-year-old man from Wels became a lifesaver. He pulled a motionless man to the shore, whose thick down jacket was already soaked through. After the successful rescue, the rescuer first had to warm himself up in the bathtub.

Sometimes your guardian angel arrives on a bike—at least in Patrick Hauser’s case. The 39-year-old mountain rescuer from Wels was out cycling with a group on the banks of the Traun River in Wels on Friday afternoon when he spotted a motionless person lying face-down in the water. “I thought it was a dead body,” Hauser says.

Freezing Water
“At first, I wondered whether I should jump into the water. Then an acquaintance found a stand-up paddleboard at an allotment garden,” he says, describing those dramatic minutes. Wearing only cycling shorts and a tank top, he sat on the board and paddled toward the motionless person, who was about 10 meters from the shore.

Pulled to shore with a dog leash
“The man was wearing a thick down jacket; when I touched him, he gasped for air,” says Hauser. He held the man’s body steady with one hand and rested his head on the board. “My friends threw me a dog leash, which I was able to catch and hold onto on my second try. That’s how we were pulled to shore.” There, emergency responders took over care of the severely hypothermic man, who was responsive again by the time he was transported to the hospital.

Warmed Up in the Bathtub
After the rescue, Hauser first took a warm bath and “then I’m looking forward to a cup of coffee.”