Car crashes 45 meters on Axenstrasse – search by police divers unsuccessful so far
Large-scale operation following a tragic accident on Axenstrasse: police divers search for a vehicle under water. The car broke through the railing when the wolf jumped and fell into Lake Lucerne.
At around 12 noon, a car was driving on Axenstrasse from the south in the direction of the Mosi tunnel. Shortly following the wolf jump, immediately before the village of Brunnen, it grazed the rock on the right for reasons that were previously unknown, threw it across the oncoming lane and apparently broke through the railing at higher speed. The car flew over the 45 meter high rock face and sank in Lake Lucerne.
Several forces from the Brunnen rescue service and the Schwyz cantonal police moved out immediately. They immediately searched the water below the scene of the accident. Police divers were also deployed. The Schwyz rescue service was on site with an ambulance and waited in the village of Brunnen for an operation in the hope that people might still be saved. A Rega helicopter landed at the Auslandschweizerplatz. After a good hour, there seemed to be no more hope. Ambulance and Rega withdrew once more.
Lake at this point up to 180 meters deep
The maritime police of the Schwyz cantonal police have not been able to locate the vehicle involved in the accident in Lake Lucerne, which is up to 180 meters deep. This was announced by the Schwyz cantonal police late on Sunday followingnoon. At this depth, the police will have to search with special equipment, such as a remote-controlled camera. The Schwyz police will be dependent on support from outside the canton. So far it is unclear how many occupants were in the vehicle.
A car that was traveling in the direction of Flüelen at the time of the accident was hit by a loose wheel from the accident vehicle and damaged. The passenger in the car sustained minor injuries and required medical treatment at the scene.
Due to the accident, traffic on Axenstrasse in the area of the accident site had to be kept to one lane at times or completely closed for the investigation. As a result, a backwater formed on both sides of the accident site for a long time. Depending on the course of the operation, repeated interruptions must be expected over the next few hours.