59-year-old diver dies while trying to retrieve WWII bomb from water

Listen to this article

On Friday, October 1, a 59-year-old diver died while trying to retrieve a World War II-era explosive device from the water. The tragedy occurred in Austria’s Lake Ossiacher See.

German-language media reported that the victim was a 59-year-old German man who was diving in Austria’s Lake Ossiacher See. The diver died as a result of an explosion while on shore handling an object he had fished out. According to available information, the diver was looking for WWII remains in the area.

The man came to Steindorf together with a 43-year-old companion. The two men had rented a cottage in the town, from where they went diving in the nearby Ossiacher See lake. The target of their search was objects from the Second World War. It was the injured man’s friend who alerted the emergency services.

The tragedy occurred on Friday, October 1, at around 11 a.m. As the police investigation found, it was then that a 59-year-old German man tampered with object fished out of the water. From the information available, it appears that it may have been a type of grenade. A second man came running after hearing the explosion and immediately called for help.

The case was immediately dealt with by the relevant services, which secured the area. while police in Saxony, where the victim had come from, searched the victim’s flat. Police officers found more dangerous objects on the spot. Among them, officers secured, among other things, hand grenades, various types of ammunition and parts for pistols and rifles.

Dangerous lake waters

According to experts, Lake Ossiacher See, which is currently very popular with divers, is full of unexploded ordnance from World War II. Undoubtedly, these are German remnants, but also British ones, which both armies were to sink at the bottom of the reservoir. Experts also believe that many bombs fell into the lake during the air raids.

It is worth pointing out that in Austria last year alone services of the austrian army responsible for bomb disposal secured 26 tonnes of objects from the First and Second World Wars.

Polish lakes are also full of dangerous objects from the Second World War. What to do when you come across one of them? How to behave? You can find out in Sebastian Łepkowski’s article, which appeared in the second issue of our DIVERS24 quarterly! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while the printed version can be purchased in our online shop.