After two failed attempts: the steamboat rescue on Lake Constance finally failed

After two failed attempts
The rescue of the steamer on Lake Constance finally failed

May 27, 2024 at 11:57 am

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The steamship “Säntis” has been at a depth of 210 meters in Lake Constance for 91 years. Because it was no longer navigable, it sank in the middle of the lake between Germany and Switzerland in 1933. Scrapping is very expensive. Now two rescue attempts have failed, and the wreckage remains in place.

The historic steamship “Säntis” has failed to be recovered from the bottom of Lake Constance at the present time. This was confirmed by the Ship Salvage Association in Romanshorn, Switzerland. After several technical setbacks, officials decided with a heavy heart and after careful consideration to halt the rescue operation. He added: “In the coming years, more efforts may be made to recover the wreck and reveal its secrets.”

On Sunday, the second attempt to pull the ship from a height of 210 meters to the surface failed. The rescue operation failed because the brakes of the crane that was supposed to lower the rescue platform to the ship at the bottom of Lake Constance did not hold. Officials said it was now a matter of removing the waste from the lake.

Club president Sylvain Paganini said in a live broadcast on the Swiss channel Blick TV: “This is the end of the project.” The club wrote that the news caused a mixture of sadness and disappointment for everyone directly involved. However, it has always been emphasized that they only want to continue as long as the risks and costs remain calculated and justified in terms of maintaining this “great ship”.

The steamer was no longer seaworthy in May 1933 and sank in the middle of the lake between Romanshorn on the Swiss side and Langenargen on the German side. At the time, scrapping was dismissed as too expensive. The 48-metre-long ship has been sailing on Lake Constance since 1892 and can carry 400 passengers.

The first attempt to rescue the sinking passenger ship in mid-April failed due to technical problems. Spectator ship trips to watch the rescue operation have also been cancelled. Seven ships carrying about 1,000 guests are already fully booked.

After pulling the auxiliary lines under the ship in the first attempt, a rope broke when the recovery line was pulled and the entire guide line sank on the forward deck of the wreck. In addition, the technical parts of the diving robot will have to be replaced. The lines must then be untangled using a diving robot at a depth of 210 meters before the rescue can continue.

The Ship Salvage Association was founded in 2023. More than 250,000 euros were raised to save the ship. Since the success of the crowdfunding to restore the ship, preparations for the campaign have been in full swing. The association is non-profit and has more than 40 members.