MAHA supports the Lifeguard Service Rottachtal with the Family Rauch Foundation And covers the acquisition costs for a new rescue sledge

The non-profit Family Rauch Foundation of MAHA covers the costs for the acquisition of a water rescue sledge for the rapid response unit of the Lifeguard Service Rottachtal of the Bavarian Red Cross. It is responsible for saving people in an emergency situation in and at water bodies in one of Swabia's largest areas of operation. The private charitable foundation of Winfried Rauch, the late founder of MAHA, has been advocating for people who find themselves in an emergency situation through no fault of their own for many years.

Haldenwang, 17 April 2018. The 40 active members of the Wasserwacht (Lifeguard Service) Rottachtal invest an incredible 2,000 hours per year in their volunteer watch duty. In addition, they take part in ongoing education and advanced training courses in order to provide water rescue and first aid in the case of an emergency. Their goal: to protect people in an emergency situation from drowning. For their deployment at lakes and water courses in the entire Oberallgäu and the majority of the Ostallgäu, the Wasserwacht rescue teams need appropriate equipment. This is mainly financed by the Bavarian state. However, the rapid response unit, which operates the 24 hours a day, all year round, requires additional special equipment in order to help even more effectively. Previously, this was partly financed by the Bavarian Red Cross's own resources.

"After the Wasserwacht Rottachtal approached us with their donation request for the acquisition of a new important rescue aid, we were happy to decide on providing the necessary financial resources, because it is really quite remarkable how committed the volunteer members are to our region and other people", says district administrator and Chairman of the Foundation Council Anton Klotz, at the official handing over of the donation to the Wasserwacht station at the Rottachspeicher reservoir. With the donation to the amount of around EUR 3,400 it was possible to purchase the required rescue sledge, which will make an important contribution in the future in the event of an emergency and support the helpers in their work. Thanks to the rescue sledge, injured people in water and at shorelines can now be retrieved faster and easier and transported to land, which is especially crucial in cold water courses. In this case, every minute counts, because hypothermia is a particular risk of death in water rescues.

The non-profit Family Rauch Foundation of MAHA was happy to provide the necessary budget for the acquisition of the water rescue sledge and thereby is making an important contribution to increasing safety in our region.

Photo (from left to right): Bernd Stadtmüller, chairperson of the water rescue service Rottachtal, Anton Klotz, district administrator and board member of the non-profit foundation of Family Rauch, Barbara Martin, technical manager and Markus Greither, deputy chairperson of the water rescue service Rottachtal.