Vans sunk in Salzach – salzburg.ORF.at
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On Wednesday, the search for the van that sunk in the Salzach near Hallein (Tennengau) on Tuesday cannot continue. The forces decided that. Reasons are the low chance of finding the car, as well as the dangers of large amounts of water and strong currents.
On Wednesday morning there was a briefing by the Hallein district authority and the water rescue service, said Hallein’s local fire brigade commander, Josef Tschetschar. It was decided not to continue the search for the time being.
What happened until now
The employee of a pharmaceutical company had to watch helplessly on Tuesday as the vehicle rolled on the minimally sloping company premises in the Salzach and was immediately swept away by the strong current. According to the police, the driver of the small truck may have forgotten to put on the handbrake or engage a gear.
The volunteer fire brigade of the city of Hallein was alerted. They tried to locate the vehicle with boats. It was briefly sighted at the level of the Rehhof district, but then sank again and was carried away.
continuation of the search unclear
The Salzburg professional fire brigade used a sonar search device downstream. After Salzburg AG lowered the water level, the small truck was spotted. While the emergency services are trying to secure the vehicle, the masses of water swept it away again. The fire brigade stopped the operation around 5 p.m.
It is assumed that the vehicle has meanwhile been washed towards the city of Salzburg.