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Lake ConstanceMotorboat sets out to help, but ends up in distress itself

Pascal Schürmann

 · 18.08.2026

The capsized motorboat is being righted with the aid of a fire brigade crane.
Photo: Feuerwehr Konstanz
​Several people fell into the water yesterday morning following an accident on Lake Constance. Their motorboat capsized as it was attempting to come to the aid of a sailing yacht’s crew.

According to the Konstanz Fire Brigade, the sailing yacht had become unable to manoeuvre in the area of the Konstanz Funnel due to engine failure. It remains unclear why the motorboat, which apparently intended to offer assistance to the sailors, ended up upside down.

The Konstanz Fire Brigade, the DLRG and the Water Police were informed of the incident shortly before half past ten in the morning and rushed to the aid of those in distress. All those adrift in the water were safely rescued and brought ashore. The motorboat was secured by the fire brigade, whilst a DLRG boat took the sailing yacht in tow. This was reported by the Konstanz Fire Brigade.

Fire brigade rights motorboat that was floating upside down

The motorboat, which was floating keel-up, was secured alongside the fireboat and towed into a harbour basin. There, the emergency services righted the boat with the aid of the fire brigade’s crane.

Yesterday’s accident on Lake Constance is the latest in a series of incidents on the lake. Just last Friday, a catamaran ferry crashed into the quay wall as it entered the port of Konstanz. Twelve people were injured in the incident. We had reported on this.

​A total of 146 accidents occurred last year. This was a new record for the Baden-Württemberg coast. The full report on the official statistics for maritime emergencies on Lake Constance for 2025 is available here.

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Pascal Schürmann

Pascal Schürmann

Editor YACHT

Pascal Schürmann joined YACHT in Hamburg in 2001. As head of copywriting and head of the editorial team, he makes sure that all articles make it into the magazine on time and that they are both informative and entertaining to read. He was born in the Bergisches Land region near Cologne. He learned how to handle the tiller and sheet as a teenager in a touring dinghy on the Sneeker Meer and on a tall ship on the IJsselmeer. During and after his studies, he sailed on the Baltic Sea and in the Mediterranean. As a trained business journalist, he is also responsible for boat financing and yacht insurance reports at YACHT, but also has a soft spot for blue water topics.

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