Fatal diving accident in the excavator lake: golf ball search ends tragic

Fatal diving accident in the excavator lake: golf ball search ends tragic

A tragic incident recently occurred in Austria when a professional diver lost his life during the search for golf balls in a excavator lake. The 55-year-old was active on Sunday, November 17, 2024, in the Mühldorfer Weiher on the Golfplatz Donau Leisure Land Linz-Feldkirchen, a popular place not only for golfers, but also for anglers.

The square is often dirty by lost golf balls that end up in the water below. The diver had already filled a sack with balls when he suddenly no longer appeared. His partner noticed it when no air bubbles came to the surface and immediately alerted the rescue workers.

use of the rescue workers

A large contingent of nine water rescue workers, supported by eight fire departments in the area, started an intensive search. The team tried to illuminate the area with a motorboat and look for the diver. After about an hour the man was found as lifeless and brought ashore. Unfortunately, the resuscitation that was carried out by the Red Cross was not successful.

The late diver was known for his experience at work. The exact circumstances of his tragic accident are still unclear, with both possible errors in diving equipment and human failure.

It is important to mention that collecting golf balls not only has economic but also ecological importance. Every year, millions of golf balls are lost, which can disintegrate under water and produce microplastics, which is a danger to the waters. Collecting these balls is intended to help protect nature. Many divers are aware of the challenges they expect in their work, especially in cloudy waters with a bad view.

As reports the website golfersparadise.ch, there are three quality categories for the collected golf balls. The best balls are hardly used and do not have any visible defects, while the less quality often have scratches or color changes. These balls are mainly suitable for training and are recycled in large quantities.

The tragedy of the incident in Austria is reminiscent of similar accidents that have recently happened in other waters, including in Lake Starnberg, where two divers came into dangerous situations. Such events throw a light on the risks associated with this profession and remind you of all water activities. target = "_ blank" rel = "nofollow noopener noreferer"> More details can be found in an article from www.tz.de .