Two dead children

Touching inscription: Memorial commemorates tragedy

A storm devastated the leisure facility at the time.(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

August 18 marks the second anniversary of the storm drama at Lake St. Andräer See, in which two children were killed.

A white wall of clouds - and a few moments later a thunderous storm: a storm out of the blue devastated the bathing area at Lake St. Andräer See on August 18, 2022 and brought suffering to several families. Two girls lost their young lives, bathers were seriously injured and suffered the consequences for the rest of their lives.

A few weeks from now will mark the second anniversary of the tragic incident at the Lavanttal leisure facility. And to mark the occasion, the municipality has had a memorial erected. "May the sparkling highlights of the water in the sunshine give hope and be a sign of a reunion in heaven," reads the stainless steel sculpture.

It's as if this madness was only yesterday. These images, the resuscitation on site, will remain forever. I mourn with the parents.

Werner Leopold, Bademeister und Sanitäter

"We wanted to create a place where it is possible to remember the victims, where candles can be lit," says Mayor Maria Knauder. "It is only a small consolation, but it is a place to linger, which is very important when grieving."

The artists Manfred Mörth and Manfred Kumpusch and the Technical Academy helped with the design. After a silent blessing of the memorial site on 26 July, rescuers and volunteers were honored by Governor Peter Kaiser.