Search resumes at Viștea dam with sonar and underwater drone after one person goes missing Sunday
One adult remains missing and is presumed drowned after an incident Sunday evening at the Viștea reservoir in Brașov county, Romania. Two other people, an adult and a minor, were pulled from the water conscious and are out of danger.
Emergency crews resumed operations Monday morning, 29 June, to locate an adult who did not surface after entering the water at the Viștea dam near Olteț. The search began on Sunday, 28 June, when firefighters from ISU Brașov were alerted to a possible drowning.
Firefighters from ISU Brașov are searching for a person (adult) who did not come out of the water, possibly drowned. Two victims were pulled from the water, an adult and a minor, both conscious, undergoing medical evaluation at the scene.
Sunday rescue effort
On Sunday evening, an adult male and a minor were rescued from the reservoir. A SMURD helicopter medic assessed the minor, who did not require hospital transport. The adult was taken to a medical unit in Făgăraș for further checks. Meanwhile, the search for the third person continued with two inflatable boats, a SMURD crew, and divers from ISU Sibiu and ISU Covasna. The dam's water discharge was halted to assist the operation.
We are doing everything possible to find the missing person as fast as we can. It's a race against the clock.
Monday morning resumption
By Monday, 29 June at daybreak, the missing person had not been found. A diver squad from ISU Brașov, together with divers from ISU Sibiu equipped with specialized sonar scanning gear, rejoined the effort. Salvamont Brașov deployed an underwater drone to scan the area more efficiently. A SMURD helicopter surveyed the reservoir from above. The coordinated multi-agency response points to the difficult conditions of the submerged search zone.
- Incident reported at Viștea dam; three people entered the water, one disappeared.
- Two victims, an adult and a minor, rescued conscious; adult taken to Făgăraș hospital.
- Search resumes with divers, sonar equipment, and underwater drone; SMURD helicopter surveys area.
Safety warnings
Following the incident, ISU Brașov renewed public safety advice, urging people to swim only in designated areas. Hazards cited include unpredictable currents, hidden underwater obstacles, sudden depth changes, lack of lifeguards, water contamination risks, and thermal shock from cold water after sun exposure. The agency specifically stressed constant supervision of children near any body of water.
