Water police balance sheet

Work at sea: “Saving lives is the most important thing”

Thanks to teamwork, the water police are always ready to go.

(Bild: Christian Schulter)

The water police are on patrol several times a day. The high season is over. But the officers are just as ready to go in winter. A summary of the numerous missions carried out by the officers.

SOS on Lake Neusiedl! The weather often changes suddenly. When a storm approaches, it's important to get to shore quickly. Every season, sailors and surfers find themselves in distress. Then the police and fire department are called out to rescue them.

Naturally, the number of call-outs increases in summer.

(Bild: Christian Schulter)

 "We are ready for action all year round, even in the winter months. If necessary, our boats are even available in a matter of minutes during the cold season," reports Kaintz. The work is carried out by 20 highly trained officers, known as water police inspectors, who are called out several times a month by their inspectorates for sea duty. Compared to the past two years, there were once again more sailors and surfers on the waves thanks to the sufficient water level.

High swell is "uncomfortable"
Six Beaufort - according to the table, a strong wind that sweeps across the water at 22 to 27 knots. That's speeds of 39 to almost 50 km/h. "It can get pretty uncomfortable when the swell is high. Not every sea guest knows how to correctly assess the warning signals," say the emergency services. The water police are often called out. Two boats from the Podersdorf and Rust inspectorates are on standby, as are the officers from Freistadt in Mörbisch. "Water police patrols are scheduled almost daily from May to the end of September," explains Provincial Coordinator Gerald Kaintz. From October onwards, the police are only out on the lake sporadically or in urgent cases.

When not on patrol, the specially trained officers come to the aid of capsized sailors or injured (kite) surfers.

(Bild: Christian Schulter)

Complying with the Navigation Act 
"Through our work, we primarily want to help ensure that regulations such as the Navigation Act are complied with and that fewer accidents occur as a result. Of course, the most important thing is to rescue people who are in distress at sea," emphasizes the national coordinator. The water police were able to rescue a kitesurfer whose life was in danger in eight Beaufort winds. Five surfers, four of them kiters, were injured in accidents. According to the statistics, self-inflicted injuries are almost always the cause.

Operations kept within limits
Unusual were operations such as after an accident with four damaged passenger ships and after a ship crash with a jetty. The search for a missing ice skater ended in tragedy; he could only be recovered dead. "Despite all the unpleasant events, the number of incidents was kept within limits thanks to checks and preventive patrols by the water police. The lake users got along without any complaints," sums up Colonel Andreas Stipsits, Head of the Provincial Traffic Department.