The Past - The recovery operation for the Lake Constance steamship has been halted.
The recovery of the historic steamboat "Säntis" from the depths of Lake Constance is no longer viable. The shipping association confirmed this news in Romanshorn, Switzerland, on Monday. Despite facing multiple technical hurdles, they made the difficult decision to end the salvage operation. Equally, they expressed hope that further attempts may be made in the future to recover the wreck and uncover its mysteries.
The second attempt to hoist the steamboat from 210 meters to the surface on Sunday unsuccessful. The issue arose due to the winch's brakes which couldn't cope with lowering the salvage platform onto the boat. At present, the priority is to remove the salvage equipment from the lake, the parties announced.
During a live broadcast by Swiss television, "Blick TV," association president Silvan Paganini announced, "This is the end of the project." His words brought a blend of sorrow and disappointment among all the individuals invested in the endeavor, as per the association's statement. While the risks and costs were continuously evaluated, they assured they would persist until these factors remained manageable and aligned with preserving this "marvelous vessel."
This skipjack had been deemed unfit for service in May 1933 and sunk in the heart of the lake between Romanshorn in Switzerland and Langenargen in Germany. Its dismantlement was significantly costly, preventing that from happening in the past. Since 1892, the 48-meter-long vessel serviced Lake Constance and held a capacity of 400 passengers. The first failed attempt to salvage the submerged passenger ship transpired mid-April due to technical concerns.
The Shipping Association (established in 2023) rallied supporters to collect more than 250,000 euros for the salvage operation.
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The steamboat "Säntis" was initially sunk in Lake Constance between Romanshorn, Switzerland, and Langenargen in Germany, back in May 1933. Despite the historical significance of the 48-meter-long vessel, which had served the lake since 1892 and could carry up to 400 passengers, past attempts to dismantle it due to high costs were unsuccessful. Located at a depth of 210 meters, the recovery operation for the steamboat was a challenging undertaking, conducted by a Shipping Association established in 2023, which managed to gather over 250,000 euros from supporters.
Unfortunately, the second attempt to lift the steamboat from the lake on a Sunday was unsuccessful. The winch's brakes could not handle lowering the salvage platform onto the boat, leading to the halt of the operation. Despite this failed attempt, the parties involved expressed hope for future attempts to salvage the ship and uncover its mysteries, a testament to the fascination with the vessel's history in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and across Europe.
Though the project has come to an end for now, association president Silvan Paganini emphasized the team's commitment and determination to persist until the risks and costs remained manageable and aligned with preserving this "marvelous vessel." The team's efforts were broadcast live to a nationwide audience, generating both sorrow and disappointment among supporters, as the project drew to an unexpected conclusion in Romanshorn, Switzerland.
Source: www.stern.de
