The bunting is popular with kayakers. But deadwood means that some places are treacherous. © Dominik Bartl
In May, a kayak accident occurred on the Ammer. At that point, there is still a tree trunk in the water. It has not yet been removed.
Rottenbuch – The Weilheim Water Management Office warns on its website against boat trips on the Ammer. It is said that there is a danger to life. The message is highlighted in red and has an exclamation mark. Accordingly, in the area of the accident site, where an eleven-year-old kayaker died in May, a tree trunk is poorly visible in the underwater. This was also there on the day of the accident, which occurred near the Echelsbach bridge. "In addition, there was a hint from several kayakers that since the last flood a lot of propellants have been deposited in other places of the Ammer," the warning continues.
Working in the Ammer is currently too dangerous
As Bernhard Müller, head of department for the district in the water management office, says when asked by the local newspaper, the trunk has not yet been removed. "At the moment, the discharges are still high," explains Müller – water level and flow velocity make work too dangerous at the moment. "But the water level is falling slowly every day." As soon as the trunk can be safely removed, this will be done. "When we are told about particularly dangerous areas, we always try to defuse them," says Müller. In the warning on the homepage, the strain is directly linked to the child's accident. According to Müller, however, he was probably not the reason for the capsizing of the eleven-year-old.
Obstacles and strong currents
For kayakers, a warning is attached to the information boards along the Ammer. "It's a wild river that carries a lot of deadwood," says Müller. After each flood, it is to be expected that "new, treacherous danger spots have arisen in the rivers, mostly tree obstacles in connection with strong currents," according to the homepage. "Driftwood, drainage obstructions or a change in the course of the river can be life-threatening for inexperienced boaters and bathers." Athletes without sufficient whitewater knowledge are advised by the authority not to sail on the river.
