Man Overboard Survives 1.5 Hours in Danube River

On Monday, a passenger on a Danube River cruise boat went over the side and managed to survive well beyond the expected time frame for cold-water immersion, long enough for a near-miraculous rescue. 

Late Monday night, the cruise boat Bolero was under way on the Danube on a trip from Vienna to Passau. A couple in their late 50s got into a quarrel in their cabin, and the man stepped out. Shortly after, the woman heard a splash but did not immediately react. At about 0030, when her husband did not return, she sounded the alarm. The crew could not find him anywhere on board, and they notified the authorities. 

In response, local fire departments dispatched six boats and 115 personnel to conduct a search of the area. Within an hour, they located the man drifting downstream in the river - still alive after 1.5 hours in the water, though in critical condition. He was taken to a hospital in nearby Lunz for treatment, according to local media. 

At the time, the water temperature was about 52 degrees F in this stretch of the Danube. Research shows that swim failure can set in within 20 minutes, and hypothermia follows shortly after. Unassisted survival for 90 minutes in cold water is unusual, with an exception for dedicated cold-water swimmers, who gradually acclimate to these conditions over a period of months or years. 

Top image: Bolero (Helmut1972 / CC BY SA 3.0)