She wanted to make eight children happy during the last week of the holidays, so she planned a trip with her former protégés to the Hohenzeller Waterfall in Bad Ischl. Now the 52-year-old is charged with negligent homicide. But what’s even worse is that she probably blames herself.
Leilah (6) would have had her first day of school on Monday. But fate had it differently: On Thursday around 6:15 p.m., the girl from Ischl’s neighboring community of Strobl (Sbg.) was fatally injured in the presence of her big sister (9) during a hike to the Hohenzoller waterfall in Bad Ischl.
The little one was traveling with her sister, six other children and two caregivers. A kindergarten teacher (52) organized the trip for former protégés. A colleague (45) accompanied me.
Suddenly the boulder came loose
While playing in the area of the Saiherbach – two hundred meters above the waterfall – a block of stone came loose. The man-sized piece fell over along with Leilah. The girl suffered serious chest injuries. Despite immediate resuscitation measures, she died at the scene of the accident. The participants of the excursion and their relatives, as well as the mountain rescuers, were cared for by the Red Cross crisis intervention team.
The implementation was extremely stressful
“Yesterday’s operation was extremely stressful for many colleagues, especially those who have children of the same age,” says Manfred Zopf, head of the Ischl mountain rescue service: “This terrible accident was simply fatal. Our sincere condolences go out to the family and relatives of the girl who died in the accident.” But he also emphasizes: “It is still very important that children get to know nature and can move around in it.”
No guilt
As an operational manager, Pascal Preimesberger of the Gmunden Alpine Police also prefers to avoid anyone being blamed: “In such situations you don’t always have to look for someone to blame. Accidents happen, they cannot be avoided. Sometimes it just has to be that way…”
Preimesberger especially praises the helicopter pilots, who pushed themselves to the limit during the operation: “It was an exceptional achievement how they lowered the emergency doctor and the air rescuer by rope into the steep stream bed.”
There is great concern among the population
“A terrible accident, really terrible. “You can only wish the affected family a lot of strength in this situation,” says Bad Ischl city manager Ines Schiller, who lives near the accident site and experienced the helicopter operation virtually live. The city manager also feels sorry for the kindergarten teacher, who is now charged with negligent homicide: “I don’t want to be in her shoes. All of us who have children of our own know how easily things can go wrong.”
Parents have their own seminar center in Strobl
Little Leilah’s parents run a seminary center in an empty timber building in Strobl; her mother is an actress, theater teacher and coach. Her partner is from Goisern; the young couple has lived in the community of 3,700 for about seven years.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
