Lechbruck - Lech raft, pedal boats and several lakes are among the tourist magnets of the rafting community.
But what should you do if there is an accident on the water?
In order to be prepared for this, the community has now bought a lifeboat for the fire brigade, as Mayor Werner Moll recently announced to the local council - on eBay classifieds.
The background to the acquisition, explained Moll, is that in an emergency there is no suitable watercraft available for rescue.
The original plan was therefore to mount an electric motor on a conventional rowing boat.
District office and fire brigade did not want to play along with reference to the regulations.
Moll bought the boat on eBay classifieds.
"As it is sometimes, someone stopped such a boat twenty minutes before," he reported.
Without a doubt, he went to Bochum with some members of the fire brigade to see the boat - and took it with him right away.
"The boat, including the trailer, searchlights, flashing lights and a newly serviced 30 hp engine, cost us 4,100 euros," he said happily.
When local councilor Konrad Enzensberger asked what the boat will have for follow-up costs and how many firefighters are allowed to drive it, Moll explains that nine people at the service have a boating license and that there are no significant follow-up costs to be feared. Council member Stefan Mahrla wanted to know why the boat had to be housed with the fire brigade. Moll then replied that the fire brigade was alerted, also because the boat will be serviced there and because in the near future the boat will be housed in the new fire station near the place of operation.
Fire brigade commander Christoph Balzarek explained to the district messenger that although the water rescue service was basically responsible for rescuing the water, it was unable to meet the statutory deadline for assistance in the Lechbruck case due to the long journey. “In the event of a water emergency, such as a medical emergency on our Lech raft, we as the locally responsible and co-alarmed fire brigade can only wait until our colleagues from the water rescue service arrive. With approach times of around 30 minutes, this is extremely long and we cannot fulfill our task of helping. ”Therefore, the municipality had a duty to procure suitable rescue equipment.
Balzarek also emphasizes: “We do not want to and cannot replace a water watch, but with this lifeboat we are given the opportunity to initiate a first strike that is as effective as possible and try to avert danger to life and limb until our very well trained water watch are on site.” Important Balzarek also said that the boat was used and was quickly available.
Such a boat with accessories would cost 13,000 to 15,000 euros, the commander added.
