"Enjoy the view"?

Death fall into concrete ruin leaves many questions unanswered

The 15-year-old is said to have fallen 20 meters through a hole in the former cement factory. The area has been cordoned off and many questions remain unanswered.

(Bild: Andi Schiel)

TikTok test of courage, "lost-place challenge" or the "beautiful view"? Investigations are underway following the fatal fall of a teenager in an old cement factory in the district of Mödling (Lower Austria). The father of one of the victims describes the terrible seconds to the "Krone" newspaper.

It could have been a "lost-place challenge" that cost the life of a 15-year-old girl in the district of Mödling on Thursday evening. At least that's what the initial police investigations suggest.

The former cement factory in Kaltenleutgeben is also known outside the municipality as a "lost place" - and as such is often visited by young people. This was also the case for the victim. The 15-year-old had entered the sealed-off factory that evening with three friends, two boys (15 and 21 years old) and an 18-year-old.

Plunged several meters to her death
The tragic accident occurred at 10 p.m.: the young girl fell through a two to four meter hole in the floor, confirmed Johann Baumschlager from the Lower Austrian Provincial Police Directorate. The teenagers are said to have reached the sixth floor via the stairwell of the empty building. The 15-year-old finally remained motionless on the second floor. Her companions alerted the emergency services.

What the teenagers were doing there is still under investigation. The interrogations are still pending.

Eyewitnesses in shock
The father of one of the young people involved refuses to believe the investigators' suspicions. "They just wanted to enjoy the beautiful view," he explains to the "Krone" and describes the last terrible seconds before the fall: according to him, the girl suddenly fell into a hole in the concrete floor while turning around. The friends present had resuscitated the 15-year-old themselves and alerted the rescue services. The teenagers are in shock.

Whether the tragic accident was a test of courage or a kind of scavenger hunt (geocaching) remains to be clarified by the investigators. The fact is that the former factory was cordoned off and even barricaded with formwork panels.

Dangerous internet trend
"This terrible incident shows the dangers of abandoned buildings. We appeal to everyone, especially young people, not to go into such buildings - there is an acute danger to life! The building is barricaded and actually inaccessible. It is unclear how the young people still managed to get in," is the initial reaction from the market town of Kaltenleutgeben.

The police have also issued a stern warning against such tests of courage. Because sometimes such trends end fatally. As in the case of the subway surfers in Vienna, who ultimately had to pay for their kick with their lives.