A motorboat driver had collided with the raft that was supposed to serve as a launch pad for the fireworks. The raft sank and recovery was scheduled for Friday, the police said in a press release.
Every year on the Assumption of Mary, the boat procession takes place on Lake Wörthersee – this year it was the 70th time. However, for reasons unknown, a 69-year-old motorboat driver from the Klagenfurt-Land district collided with a raft near Maria Wörth at 10.30 p.m. on Thursday. The raft was loaded with numerous fireworks and was so badly damaged that it sank. The motorboat was slightly damaged.
Both the 57-year-old rafter and the motorboat driver were uninjured. The fire service and water rescue team managed to recover most of the fireworks floating in the water. The Marian procession continued, but the fireworks were cancelled. A breathalyzer test on the motorboat driver was negative, according to the police.
