Attersee search operation ends after watersport device mistaken for swimmer in distress

A large-scale search operation at Attersee in the Seewalchen area ended in a false alarm on Tuesday evening. The emergency response was triggered around 17:48 when a couple, aged 64 and 67, reported seeing a swimmer making distress signals before disappearing beneath the surface.

Emergency services, including police boats, water rescue teams from Weyregg and Nußdorf, and the Seewalchen volunteer fire department, conducted a search for approximately 45 minutes. Due to poor weather and heavy waves, no other people were in the water at the time.

The situation was resolved when a 37-year-old man from Vienna came forward at approximately 18:30. He explained that he had been using an underwater scooter, similar to a Scubajet, in the lake. The movement of the device as it surfaced and submerged led the couple to believe a person was in distress. To confirm, the man reenacted the movements with the equipment in the presence of emergency responders, which the witnesses confirmed. The search operation was officially concluded at 18:45.