Storm chaos in Tutzing: Rescue actions and missing search in the focus

Von Kl Redaktion

A devastating storm shaken the region around Lake Starnberg on the evening of September 5, 2024 and led to dramatic operations of the rescue workers. The natural weather conditions not only led to significant damage to property, but also to a missing bathroom, the search continued under extreme conditions.

The storm was particularly affected by the village of Tutzing, where there were massive rains within a very short time. A large tree fell over and fell on several cars, which blocked the castle road. This made it difficult to use rescue workers who tried to penetrate one of the lakes in order to look for missing people. The fire brigade and other emergency services were alerted, as information about a missing bathing guest in the Jais pond in Gilching.

The search for the missing

The missing man, a 46-year-old from Wörthsee, was last seen before the storm. The first alarm reports received around 6:30 p.m., but the sudden storm temporarily stopped the search for him. The conditions on the water were so dangerous that the water rescue had to carry out deportation. Before that, the emergency services had already searched the lake with a rubber boat, but could not find an indication of the missing man.

rescue workers did everything they can to continue the search on Thursday. A friend of the man had found his car and personal items on the bank, which led to an emergency call. In addition to water guard employees, the search team also consisted of professional divers who worked with sonar systems, but this measure also brought no results in the evening. The hope of finding the missing person alive remains, and the search has been announced for the coming day.

The thunderstorm, which pulled over Tutzing, was not only an individual event, but also an interaction of several smaller storms. The Tutzing fire brigade reported that the rain intensity was so high that after only a few minutes you were soaked to the skin. The weather station at the Schäftlarn monastery recorded impressive 60 liters of precipitation per square meter, which corresponds to a statistical rarity from once every 20 years.

in Tutzing, all the streets were under water, basement ran full, and the fire station was not spared. The main and Lindemannstraße turned into raging currents, and emergency services had to protect their own buildings from water damage. In the situation, the Tutzingen fire brigade was challenged to work on a total of 13 missions that were piling up due to the heavy rain and fallen trees.

The fire brigade was actually alerted to look for four missing people in a certain area of ​​Lake Starnberg. After initial misunderstanding, they had decided to avoid the water and finally returned to the shore on foot, where they were found safely. Their rapid return contributed to relieving the forces used, which were presented with extremely challenging tasks due to the weather conditions.

The wind speeds and the shaft height of up to 1.5 meters made the water rescue dangerous. Over 20 sailing boats had to be recovered from the dangers of Lake Starnberg during the storm, and several were difficult to secure. Some boats remained stray or ran in dangerous places that had to be protected to avoid further damage.

The effects of the storm were also felt in the neighboring communities, where the basement and garden sheds as well as other infrastructural conditions were affected. There was also another fire service when a fire was reported in a basement near Percha around 8 p.m. The team was able to quickly control the smoldering fire and eliminate the potential danger, although the cause is still unclear.