A walk around Altausseer See reveals few streams flowing in to the lake, but a sizeable river flowing out, fuelling speculation that there were one or more underwater risings in the lake. CUCC were told that an area along the northern edge of the lake, below the cliffs of Steinwand, did not freeze over in winter, despite the rest of the lake being fit for skating and curling for most of the season.
This part of the lake was dived by John Cordingley, Andy Goddard, Mike Thomas and Phil Murphy, members of the Cave Diving Group, in 1989. The dives were most notable for the discovery of a body and recovery of a right humerus, belonging to someone who had drowned in 1955, but the source of the water was also found. Water rises in many tiny blowholes in a 30m square area at a depth of -36m, each blowing up sand up to 1.5m above the lake bed.
Further dives by CDG with Hubert Gaisberger and Wolfgang Gasperl (divers from the local fire brigade) revealed no way into the system, but did recover the foot belonging to the leg. The very hung-over group also had great fun with the fire-brigade's big red speedboat.
Although one of the divers suggested the name "Rancid dead person spring", it seems more appropriate to use "Steinwandquelle", as suggested by John Cordingley.