Austrian bank employee 'drops 90,000 euros into river'

An Austrian bank employee has found himself in hot water after he unloaded bags containing 90,000 euros ($117,000) from his car boot to fix a puncture -- only to see the money to fall into a river below.

The incident reportedly happened on May 7 as the employee was transporting the cash from a small bank branch in Obertauern in western Salzburg province to the main office in nearby Radstadt, the daily Salzburger Nachrichten reported on Saturday.

As he was repairing the flat tyre, the bags of money which he had placed on a steep slope slipped into the river below, the worker claimed.

The police, fire department and mountain rescue teams conducted a thorough search of the waterway but were only able to recover 3,000 euros, the Austria Press Agency said. 

No witnesses have confirmed the employee's story but the police said no criminal investigation has been launched.

The employee, who was using his own car for the money run, has been sacked for not following procedure, according to the bank.

The police has warned potential fortune hunters not to go searching for the money: given the tricky mountain terrain and waterfalls along the river, it would be "absolutely senseless," said police spokesman Anton Schentz.

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