The tragic accident in which two experienced sailors lost their lives occurred on Lake Constance at the end of November. The two men, aged 38 and 39, were travelling in their 15-person dinghy cruiser when the boat capsized for reasons as yet unexplained. The sailors were travelling from Friedrichshafen-Seemoos to the Konstanz funnel to take part in the "Regatta der Eisernen" race.
Large-scale search operation
A relative of the helmsman had already contacted Thomas Münzer, the chairman of the Friedrichshafen-Fischbach water sports club, to which the sailors belonged, on Friday evening. They could not be reached by mobile phone, although they should have arrived in Constance long ago. This is reported by the Südkurier. A search operation was launched together with the Swiss police on Saturday morning when the capsized boat was spotted floating in the water off Landschlacht.
The maritime police of the Thurgau cantonal police and the German water police determined on site that it was the missing vessel. The search for the missing men was then launched. Assistance was also provided by the Constance fire brigade, the water police from Austria and the Bavarian water police. A total of 15 lifeboats were deployed. The two sailors were found off Münsterlingen on Saturday afternoon and could only be recovered dead. Both were wearing life jackets.
Cause of the accident unclear
How the tragic capsize came about is currently being investigated. Both sailors were experienced and had won the regatta in their Yardstick 2 category in 2023. The cause of the accident is thought to be sudden gusts or a technical defect.
The chances of survival in the eight-degree cold Lake Constance were very slim. Without special protective clothing, such as a neoprene or dry suit, hypothermia can occur after just 10 to 30 minutes. It is not yet known whether such clothing was worn.
On the subject of hypothermia:
Regatta cancelled
The "Regatta of the Iron" was cancelled on Saturday morning before the two sailors were found dead. The entry fees are to be donated to the bereaved on the initiative of registered sailors. Both leave behind a wife and two children each.
The "Regatta of the Iron" has been held every winter on Lake Constance off the coast of Constance since 1975. On average, 220 boats from the countries bordering Lake Constance take part. For this year's edition, 160 boats were registered.
Update from 10 January 2025: no technical defect
Forensic examinations at the beginning of December had already revealed that the death of the two sailors was caused by drowning in a presumably unconscious state as a result of hypothermia. There were no other findings that could have explained the deaths.
Today, the public prosecutor's office in Constance and the responsible police headquarters Einsatz announced that the expert examination of the boat has also been completed. There were no indications of a technical defect that could have caused the boat to capsize.
"In particular," the statement reads, "the repairs carried out prior to the start of the voyage were carried out in accordance with the regulations according to the expert's findings. Against this background, there are no indications that the boat capsized due to third-party negligence."
The police operations centre brings together the special forces and special units of the Baden-Württemberg police under one roof. It led the investigation into the boat accident.
