Authorities halt search for man missing in Völkermarkt reservoir

A man is believed to have drowned in the Völkermarkt reservoir in Carinthia on Saturday night, ORF reports. A fisherman raised the alarm shortly before 11 p.m. after seeing a swimmer disappear underwater.

The fisherman immediately took his boat to the spot where he had last seen the man. He managed to pull the man’s acquaintance, who had also been swimming in the reservoir, aboard. The man disappeared beneath the water.

Police launched a search involving three patrols, a dog unit, a helicopter, water rescuers and several volunteer fire brigades, including one using an underwater drone. The search was called off without success at 1 a.m.

It resumed on Sunday morning, with police, firefighters and rescuers working together. However, the Drau was extremely murky, limiting visibility and forcing the teams to proceed slowly. The man remained missing, and the search was halted at midday.