Dutch diver dies after rapid ascent in Lake Attersee

A 57-year-old diver from the Netherlands has died in Lake Attersee near Steinbach am Attersee in the Vöcklabruck district, ORF reported. It is the first fatal diving accident in the area this year.

The man had planned to dive to a depth of 100 metres with two colleagues. Problems arose at about 80 metres, after which he ascended rapidly to the surface without making the required stops.

Martin Sturm, diving coordinator for the Upper Austrian Water Rescue Service, said diving equipment was generally not the cause of such accidents. Human error, particularly inadequate training in dealing with problems underwater, was more often responsible.

He said most diving accidents resulted from a chain of problems rather than a single incident. At steep-wall entry points such as Ofen and Schwarze Brücke in Steinbach am Attersee, divers have no place to briefly rest or adjust their equipment. A problem can become dangerous if a diver sinks further while trying to resolve it and also struggles to equalise pressure.

Lake Attersee attracts particularly large numbers of divers in late summer because algae growth decreases and the water becomes clearer, improving underwater visibility and lighting. The lake sees several hundred thousand dives each year, but the water rescue service warns that greater depths should not be underestimated. Many divers therefore remain at considerably shallower depths, where the risks are lower.