Drama in Faak am See

Pensioner stuck in a swamp, completely weakened

Late on Friday evening, two men in Faak am See in Carinthia heard cries for help coming from the adjacent swamp and alerted the police. They found a pensioner who was completely weakened and severely hypothermic.

A 25-year-old man from Villach and a man of the same age from Bleiburg parked their car in the parking lot of a campsite in Faak am See at around 8.30 p.m. on Friday when they heard a man screaming for help from the adjacent marshland.

"They could make out a male person lying in the swamp about three meters away from the paved meadow," said an officer. 

Soaked and completely covered in mud
When they arrived at the scene, the police officers found a helpless man lying on his side in the mud or water and unable to free himself from his predicament. "He was soaked up to chest height and completely covered in mud," said the police. However, it was not possible to get out of the knee-deep swamp, which is why the pensioner was pulled out of the mud using a lifeline that was in the service vehicle.

"The 68-year-old from Villach stated that he had not recognized the swampy area as such while walking and had sunk into it. He was so severely hypothermic and weakened that he was no longer able to stand on his own," said the police. After receiving first aid, the pensioner was taken to Villach Regional Hospital.