Alarm in Weyregg

Large-scale search for missing child in the lake

Where is it? In Weyregg am Attersee, a frantic search was made for the missing girl.

(Bild: R. Loy)

"We're looking for a child!" - A large-scale rescue operation was underway for hours on Friday on Lake Attersee. A girl is said to have gone under, several witnesses claim to have observed this. Helpers from all organizations were deployed (see video above). After around four hours, the search was stopped at around 5 pm: The police assumed it was a false alarm. 

Shortly before 1 pm, witnesses had raised the alarm that a child had disappeared from the Weyregg lido. More precisely, a girl had been seen sliding into the water near the inflatable water slide and had not resurfaced. Six fire departments were also deployed with drones, water rescuers from four local stations were on site, as well as the police with a drone and helicopter and the Red Cross. 

The police helicopter hovered over Lake Attersee in search of the missing child

(Bild: Steffi N.)

"Water rescuers from Weyregg immediately searched the area," said Martin Eberl from Upper Austria Water Rescue, who was already hoping in the early afternoon that it was perhaps a false alarm after all - just like the hundreds of swimmers who were enjoying the heat on Lake Attersee.

Our people were on site very quickly, partly because we have a base in Weyregg. We searched the area around the inflatable slide with the diving team and found nothing.

Martin Eberl, Wasserrettung OÖ

"So far, no parents have reported missing their child," confirmed Michael Stur, Mayor of Weyregg, in the early afternoon. Nevertheless, the search continued at full intensity for four hours. Divers searched the lake, boats and drones searched the surface. Paramedics were on site to be able to help immediately if the child was found injured.

The FF Weyregg's search appeal

(Bild: R. Loy)

A 13-year-old girl is missing
The details of who was actually missing changed several times. First the search was for a boy, then for a ten to 13-year-old girl, possibly from Italy. She is said to have been wearing a pink/orange swimsuit. The parents were asked online by the Weyregg fire brigade to get in touch.

However, neither a missing person's report was received, nor was the missing child found during the search. At 4.15 p.m., the rescue vehicles were sent back to their locations and the fire department and water rescue team continued to search with sonar. The search was finally stopped at 5 pm.

The water rescue team, fire department, police and Red Cross were unable to find anything, according to the provincial police headquarters in the late afternoon. Meanwhile, there was a swimming drama in the neighboring Wolfgangsee: a man drowned.