A 57-year-old Dutch diver has died after making an emergency ascent from approximately 80m during an attempted 100-metre dive in Austria’s Lake Attersee.
The incident happened Friday, 18 September, at the ‘Ofen’ (Oven) dive site near Steinbach am Attersee, according to a statement from Upper Austria Police.
The man was diving with two companions, and all three were described as experienced divers.
No explanation has so far been given for the cause of the emergency, other than the diver panicked and made an emergency ascent without making any necessary decompression stops.
One of the other members of the dive team attempted to help him, but was unable to prevent the ascent. After surfacing, he was spotted about 100m from shore by two Polish divers, who rushed to his aid.
His companions are reported to have ‘ascended slowly’ – presumably in accordance with their decompression obligations.
Emergency medical services were already on the scene dealing with an unrelated incident involving a female diver who had complained of shortness of breath after surfacing.
Medics attempted to resuscitate the Dutch diver, however, he was declared dead at the scene. The woman who was being treated was taken to Salzkammergut Clinic in Vöcklabruck and is said to have ‘sustained minor injuries’.
No explanation has so far been given as to the cause of the emergency. According to a report in local media outlet Salzburg24, the victim’s dive computer was ‘so badly damaged it could not be read on site.’
Lake Attersee in Austria’s Salzkammergut region is a popular freshwater diving destination, its clear water and steep underwater walls making it a favourite among technical divers.
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