Water rescuers recover seven people from Lake Constance in stormy weather

Hazardous weather conditions complicated the operation

On arriving at the scene, the helpers had to act quickly in partly poor visibility conditions and on choppy water. Boat teams from the Wasserwacht brought the affected people to shore, where first-aiders provided them with medical care.

The weather situation on Lake Constance at the time of the incident was demonstrably hazardous: persistent rain, waves of around 1.5 metres in height and wind force 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale (0 to 12) made the operation risky. For the rescue teams, this meant challenging conditions, which is why coordination between the agencies involved was particularly important.

After the recovery, those rescued were examined in consultation with the emergency medical service. According to the information available, the Wasserwacht Lindau confirmed that all seven people survived the incident.

Cross-border cooperation between Bavaria and Vorarlberg

Several organisations were involved in the operation, including the Wasserwacht Lindau, the Österreichische Wasserrettung and other rescue services from the Bregenz area. According to the sources available, the cross-border cooperation between Bavaria and Vorarlberg ran smoothly.

The incident illustrates how quickly a trip on Lake Constance in bad weather can become dangerous. In this context, the Wasserwacht once again pointed out that warnings issued by the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service) and corresponding notices from the authorities should be heeded and the lake should not be navigated when such warnings are in place.

Authorities investigating the background

The authorities announced that they would continue to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident. According to the information available, there are so far no indications that third-party negligence is involved.