Police
73-year-old man drowned in Schwendisee in Wildhaus
On Tuesday morning, the St. Gallen cantonal emergency call center received a report that an abandoned backpack had been lying at the front Schwendisee for several hours. During a subsequent search operation with drones and police divers, a drowned man was found in the lake.
The accident occurred at Schwendisee in Wildhaus.
A witness reported to the St. Gallen cantonal emergency call center on Tuesday morning that a backpack and clothing had been lying abandoned near the front Schwendisee for several hours. According to the St. Gallen cantonal police, it had to be assumed that someone had suffered an incident in the lake based on the situation of the found items.
The lake and its surroundings were subsequently searched by both drone pilots and police divers using a so-called sidescan sonar. Shortly before 5 PM, a lifeless body was found on the bottom of the lake. The police divers recovered the man, who could only be confirmed to be deceased.
According to the cantonal police, the deceased is a 73-year-old Swiss national from the Werdenberg region. The man is believed to have drowned while swimming for reasons yet unknown. The St. Gallen public prosecutor’s office has initiated an investigation and ordered an autopsy by the Institute of Forensic Medicine. (kapo/maf)