A woman from Vienna almost drowned in Mariazell on Saturday. Rescue workers were able to save the 31-year-old at the last second. A dog of the woman died.
In Mariazell (Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district) there was almost a tragedy on Saturday afternoon. A 31-year-old walker from Vienna was caught by the current of the Salza and pushed into a hollow in the river. She was rescued by numerous emergency services after several hours.
According to information from the LPD Styria, a witness notified the emergency services at around 4:00 p.m. and stated that he and his mother had been hiking towards the Weichselboden when the two noticed a person calling for help next to the B 24. However, they were initially unable to pinpoint the exact location of this person.
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Witnesses discovered woman
However, witnesses later discovered a woman standing in a hollow in the river, believed to have been pushed beneath the rocks by the strong current. The water was up to her neck and she was apparently no longer able to free herself from her situation. The woman also had a dog with her.
The officers from the Mariazell Police Inspectorate who had meanwhile arrived could not help the woman alone because of the dangerous situation and immediately notified the Red Cross, the rescue helicopter, the mountain rescue service and several fire brigades for the rescue operation. Fire brigade divers were also requested.
Attempts to save the woman using a rope were unsuccessful. As the 31-year-old’s health threatened to deteriorate due to the water temperatures, the divers could no longer wait for their arrival. A member of the mountain rescue service then went to the casualty in a so-called “Belly Boat” (small fishing boat) and finally rescued her and her dog together with numerous members of the fire brigade from their emergency situation.
Woman severely hypothermic – dog died
The woman was handed over to the C 15 emergency doctor and transported to the LKH Scheibbs (Lower Austria) by helicopter. She suffered severe hypothermia and severe shock in the incident. The dog, which was also rescued, was handed over to the sister of the 31-year-old.
According to the current state of the survey, the woman may have been out for a walk with her two dogs on site. At least one of the dogs may have got caught in the current of the river. When trying to help her dog or dogs, the 31-year-old was probably caught by the current herself. It is believed that the second animal drowned in the river incident.
