Boat Capsized on Mur in Graz: Body of 24-Year-Old Found

He and two of his colleagues from the construction site of the Mur bridge on the South Motorway (A2) were on the Mur with the aluminum boat for work when it sank for reasons still unknown. While the other two managed to save themselves to the shore, the 24-year-old disappeared beneath the surface. Divers discovered him in the early afternoon.

Large Search Operation for Missing 24-Year-Old

Several police patrols and a drone, as well as rescue, fire brigade, and water rescue teams, were deployed since the morning. The aluminum boat of the three workers capsized at around 7:20 a.m. and sank completely. Two occupants, also from Poland, managed to swim to the shore themselves and suffered from hypothermia. A witness alerted the emergency services. The boat had set off from the right bank of the Mur. The search was also concentrated in this area. Divers eventually found the body not far from the spot where the boat had capsized.

Poor Visibility Hindered Search

Fire brigade divers and the crew of the police boat, which has only been available for a few weeks, were also alerted for the search for the missing man. It was their first mission. A police helicopter was withdrawn because, despite the calm water surface, there was an undercurrent, according to police spokesman Sabri Yorgun. The water of the Mur was therefore extremely murky. Nothing could be seen from the helicopter. The poor visibility underwater also made the search difficult for the fire brigade divers.

While the search for the initially missing Pole was underway in the morning, the Red Cross took the other two men to the hospital for further treatment after initial care. They could not be questioned at first. Therefore, it is still unclear whether the three occupants were wearing life jackets and whether the two survivors can say anything about the cause of the boat's capsizing.

Construction Work on Bridge Continued

The Mur is relatively calm at the surface under the A2 bridge. During the search, work on the construction site continued. Asfinag is currently rebuilding the two approximately 100-meter-long bridges over the Mur on the A2 between Graz-East and Graz-West. The work is being carried out partly with the help of a floating platform. Both bridges are expected to be completed by summer 2026. The South Bridge has already been completed. All A2 traffic is currently running over it. The North Bridge is expected to be finished in December. Then traffic will be diverted to the North Bridge before the old bridge, which is currently between the two new bridges, is dismantled. Only when this is done will the complete, already built South Bridge be pushed into the place of the old South Bridge using hydraulic presses.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.