Missing 27-year-old in Danube: search operation stopped without success

Missing 27-year-old in Danube: search operation stopped without success

On June 22, 2025, the search for a 27-year-old Austrian woman missing in the Danube near Klosterneuburg was discontinued. The woman disappeared while swimming in a bay on the right bank below the roller ferry. Passers-by had previously noticed a drowning person and tried in vain to save the swimmer. Despite rescue measures being initiated immediately, the search was unsuccessful, which dramatically worsened the situation.

The search operations began on Saturday afternoon and were supported by, among others, several fire departments, water rescue services and a rescue helicopter. Benjamin Löbl, commander of the Klosterneuburg fire department, explained that one of the biggest challenges during the operations was the poor visibility under water, which made the divers' work significantly more difficult. The river current and the murky water also posed high risks for the emergency services.

Extensive rescue operation

Thermal imaging cameras were used to assist in the search, which continued early Sunday morning. But these measures also had no positive results. The search was finally resumed in the bank area on Sunday morning after it had to be interrupted on Saturday after around two hours. The emergency services remained optimistic, but the missing woman's chances of survival were assessed as very low.

As 5min.at reports, similar incidents, such as the recent case of two missing bathers in the Danube, are not uncommon. There, too, the search for the men who had gotten into trouble the day before was stopped on September 7th after several unsuccessful attempts. These tragedies highlight the risks of swimming in current waters.

However, the hope for a positive ending for the family and friends of the missing swimmer remains very modest given the difficult circumstances and the search results so far. Kleine Zeitung adds that the weather and water conditions contribute significantly to the danger of the situation.

The dramatic situation speaks to the need for precautionary measures when swimming in rivers and urges swimmers to be particularly careful in unsafe waters. While rescue workers did their best, experience shows that such operations often end tragically, as evidenced by reports of past searches in the region, underscoring the importance of providing care and training to rescue workers and the strong warning to swimmers.