Markus Söder got an idea of what the Bavarian water rescue service does every day in Tutzing on Saturday.
The prime minister not only allowed himself to be shown the dilapidated guard station, but also lent a hand during an exercise.
Tutzing – Prime Minister Dr.
Markus Söder visited the Tutzing local group of the district water rescue service on Saturday afternoon, found out about the current situation, listened to problems and, as a trained lifeguard, even took part in an exercise on the lake.
“Bavaria is a land of water.
And the water rescue service is an inseparable part of it.
Lives are saved here.
We are grateful and proud of the volunteers and the quality of their work,” he said.
The appointment was organized by the state chairmen of the Bavarian water rescue service, Thomas Huber and Benjamin Taitsch.
"The goal was to inform Prime Minister Söder about the water rescue service and disaster control - and to address difficulties," says Andreas Fischer, technical director of the district water rescue service in Starnberg.
After a short tour of the aging guard station, a demonstration of the diving equipment and the equipment trolley for water rescue, Söder and some of the around 40 volunteers who were on site went to Lake Starnberg.
"We re-enacted an accident in which a sailor died," says Fischer.
Several lifeboats and a rescue water craft, a jet ski specially modified for water rescue, rushed to help.
"Before his political career, the Prime Minister was himself a lifeguard at the water rescue service and carried out ventilation on the manikin," said the technical director.
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As a trained lifeguard, Markus Söder helped with a ventilation exercise on the lake.
© Jörg Koch/ Bavarian State Chancellery
Söder's visit to Tutzing was a special honor for the district water rescue service and an important opportunity to show the Prime Minister weak points.
"I don't know exactly why we were chosen, but Starnberg has a good reputation as a high-performing group," explains Fischer.
However, the board decided against the station in the district town and for the local group Tutzing as the venue - and for a specific reason.
“In contrast to Starnberg, a lot has to be done in Tutzing.
The wooden hut of the guard station is rotting away, the boat is housed in a tent.
There is a massive need for action.
Anyone who joins the water rescue service as an active person wants to have sensible working materials, clothing and proper facilities.”
However, improvements are difficult to achieve without the financial support of politicians.
"With such amounts, it's not enough to walk around with the donation box," says Fischer.
The prime minister also knows that many local groups need to change something.
"There is no concrete support yet, but we have some verbal commitments, including from Minister of State Joachim Herrmann," said Fischer.
During his appointment with the water rescue service in Tutzing, Söder showed interest and commitment.
“He made a very affable and down-to-earth impression on me.
A successful day overall,” sums up the technical manager of the district water rescue service.