Employee resuscitated at Wiesn swing boat: Police see no danger to passengers

Police commented on the matter on Saturday. «Eine Gefahr für die Fahrgäste des Fahrgeschäftes bestand zu keinem Zeitpunkt», the officers stated. In doing so, investigators rejected speculation that the incident could be connected to a technical malfunction of the swing boat or a breakdown during operation.

Police statement

The swing boat is one of the traditional rides at Oktoberfest and is located at the Oidn Wiesn, the historic part of the Wiesn. Operators and supervisory authorities regularly inspect rides at the festival grounds, including through TÜV inspections and random checks during ongoing operations. Information on whether a special inspection was initiated in the current case was not initially made public.

On social media, footage circulated on Saturday purporting to show the deployment of emergency responders at the ride. BR24 reported in a live ticker, and OE24 broadcast parts of the events in a live TV stream. Police and emergency services asked eyewitnesses to refrain from speculation and instead follow the official investigation.

Background on the festival grounds

There was no confirmed information about the 47-year-old's state of health as of Saturday evening. Authorities also did not initially comment on whether pre-existing health conditions played a role. Police announced that they would continue to process the incident and publish further information if necessary.

Munich's Oktoberfest, which began on September 19 this year, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from Germany and abroad every day. According to organizers and security authorities, workplace accidents and minor medical incidents are not rare, but they are generally not made public.

Police reiterated that, according to the current state of affairs, the incident has no effect on the ongoing operation of the swing boat or other rides. The festival grounds remained open on Saturday, and operations at the Oidn Wiesn continued without further restrictions, according to the authorities.

Observers at the festival grounds reported that the area around the swing boat was cordoned off over a wide perimeter after the deployment. Later footage showed access points open again. The Wiesn administration and police announced a debriefing to evaluate the course of the emergency response.