Deadly accident: Working divers drowned in golf ball in Upper Austria

Deadly accident: Working divers drowned in golf ball in Upper Austria

A dramatic incident occurred on November 17, 2024 in the Mühldorfer Weiher in Feldkirchen an der Donau, Austria. A professional diver from Perg, who wanted to collect golf balls from the bottom of the water, died. This type of diving is often operated by professional divers who specialize in collecting lost golf balls in order to clean them and then sell them again.

golf has become a popular leisure activity in many countries, including Austria. Beginners and professionals often take the opportunity to play in the long and most beautiful places, which are often supplemented by water in which many golf balls end up. The Mühldorfer Weiher, a former quarry lake, is a place where a particularly large number of balls disappear.

search action and tragic end

Around 30 minutes after the 55-year-old diver went into the water, his partner noticed that the air bubbles that should rise when diving failed. At that moment she immediately alerted the emergency services. As a result, a large contingent of firefighters and water rescuers was mobilized to search for the missing person. Nine water rescuers and eight fire departments from the area were used. The Feldkirchen fire brigade used a motorboat and fought systematically.

After about an hour of search, the diver could finally be recovered lifeless. The Red Cross rescue workers immediately tried to revive the man. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful. The exact events that led to this tragic incident remains unclear for the time being. Errors on the equipment or human failure could be possible causes.

The importance of collecting golf ball

Collecting golf balls not only has financial advantages for the divers, but also plays an important role in the environment. Studies show that up to 300 million golf balls are lost annually in the United States. These balls, if they lie under water for months, disintegrate into microplastics and could contaminate the groundwater. In addition, divers often have to work under extreme conditions, such as cloudy water and poor visibility, which makes the task even more dangerous.

In the market for used golf balls, it is common to divide balls into different quality classes. The first class comprises almost new balls that have no signs of wear, while second class has smaller blemishes. Third grade balls are mainly suitable for training purposes and are characterized by scratches and signs of wear.

Before this incident, there have already been several tragic accidents in other waters. Two divers recently accidentally accidentally accidentally accidentally got away. An apnea diver was also in mortal danger in the Tyrolean Achensee, and in June a dive in the Gilchinger Weiher cost the life of a diver. Such incidents urgently remind you of the risks associated with this profession.