Lack of funds ends third bid to salvage Säntis ship from Swiss lake

Lack of funds, third attempt to salvage the ship "Säntis" will not happen Keystone-SDA

A third attempt to salvage the steamship Säntis, whose wreck has been lying at the bottom of Lake Constance in Switzerland since 1933, has failed before it has even begun.

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The Ship Salvage Association failed to reach its goal of raising CHF1 million for the complicated operation.

The sum was supposed to be raised through crowdfunding. According to the association’s statement, however, the funds found are insufficient: as of noon today, as seen on its website, donations amounted to about CHF169,000. Those who paid should automatically receive their money back within two weeks.

“Achieving the maximum with minimal resources is a feat that failed on the first attempt” in April 2024, says Silvan Paganini on behalf of the organisation. For the second effort, in the following May, CHF250,000 were available.

For attempt number three, announced last June, the intention was to use a new and more expensive recovery technique.

Now, however, nothing will be done about it, with the project being shelved for the time being. Not least because, in addition to the lack of funds, a Lake Constance vessel that can be used for the operation will only be available for a limited time.

Aircraft salvage ongoing

“A new recovery of the steamer would only be possible with a revised concept,” the organisation continued. However, added Paganini urged by Keystone-ATS, “it will not be me in the immediate future” to work out a further attempt.

The Säntis was sunk in May 1933 because it was no longer seaworthy – at the time a scrapping was considered too expensive – and rests at a depth of 210 metres. It lies in the middle of Lake Constance between Romanshorn and Langenargen, Germany.

The steamer, just under 50 metres long, could carry up to 400 passengers and had begun operations in 1892.

As for another wreck that has been guarded by the same body of water for decades, namely a Swissair DC-3 that crashed in 1957 during a practice flight, the project to recover the left engine is still ongoing. According to Paganini, a request for permission to proceed has been submitted.

A few days ago it was reported that the bones recovered January 11 among the remains of the aircraft did indeed belong to a human being.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga

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