Police forces have begun with the Abpumparbeiten at the located near Bremen Tietjensee. Investigators hope to find the body of a young woman who disappeared 25 years ago. "The work has started, the water is running now," said a police spokesman.

He estimates that it could take between three and five days for the approximately 260-meter-long and 83-meter-wide lake to be pumped out. Then investigators are to ransack the exposed mire in search of possible sunken evidence. Background are investigations against the wife's former partner.

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Bremen: How the investigators pump off the Tietjensee

THW and police had begun the day before with the preparations for the pumping out of the lake in Schwanewede (district Osterholz). Special precautions have been taken to ensure that evidence during pumping does not disappear or become damaged. The police spokesman did not give specific details.

An angler fished the engagement ring out of the lake

The pumped-out water from the approximately 1.60 meter deep water is to be passed over ditches in the Weser. "We also have environmental support for the fish living in the lake," said the spokesman, who spoke of about 35 million liters of water to be pumped. After the search, the place should be flooded again. Thereafter, it should also be exposed to fish again.

In 1993, a young mother disappeared in Bremen. A corpse was never found. Her former partner has been standing in front of the district court since August for murder. The 58-year-old is said to have murdered the woman because she wanted to part with him and move out with the little son. The man dismisses the accusations.

One year after the disappearance of the woman, an angler fished a stone-laden bag out of the lake. In it were personal belongings of the woman like her engagement ring. Rescue dives remained without corpse, as the visibility in the brackish water of the lake was only a few centimeters. It had come to drain the lake because the prosecutor had resumed the investigation.