Water rescuers test disaster response at Neufelder See

About 40 water rescuers took part in a disaster exercise at Neufelder See, a lake, on Saturday, practising the rescue of eight people after a boat capsized. The exercise was reported by ORF.

The scenario involved a cabin boat with eight people on board springing a leak and sinking. Several people managed to reach a life raft or the shore and needed medical attention. The exercise also involved Neufeld’s fire brigade and the Lower Austria water rescue service.

Rescue divers searched for people believed to be still in the water, using sonar, an aerial drone and a newly tested underwater drone. Exercise leader Walter Reiter said the underwater drone provided clear images.

The lake was chosen after four people drowned there this year, considerably more than in previous years. Heat had often caused circulation problems, including among younger people. One of the people who drowned was a 20-year-old man. “It can happen to a young person too. If there is a problem with circulation, things can go very quickly,” said Rosa Stadler of the Neufeld water rescue service.

Stadler said the psychological strain of such operations should not be underestimated, as rescuers sometimes recover only bodies. The service needed support from a crisis intervention team this year, she said. The exercise’s equipment and procedures worked smoothly.