After water sports enthusiasts noticed an unmanned sailing boat on Lake Ratzeburg, the fire brigade received an emergency call at around 2 p.m. on Saturday 24 August 2024. The emergency services immediately set off in the direction of Groß Sarau on the western shore of the third largest lake in Schleswig-Holstein, where the drifting boat had been spotted.
According to the Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper, a mobile phone and lifejacket were on board, but the 79-year-old skipper was not. With winds from the south of up to 17 knots, he had previously been alone on the water with the dinghy cruiser. The course of the accident has not yet been clarified.
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The large-scale search operation initially had to be cancelled the day after the accident due to the adverse weather conditions. Not only 16 lifeboats were involved, but also helicopters and drones as well as divers and water rescue dogs.
It was only last Saturday that DLRG emergency services were able to recover the body of the 79-year-old man floating on the lake. An 81-year-old man last drowned in a swimming accident in Lake Ratzeburg in July of this year.
