sh ▁discuss ions ▁about ▁why ▁and ▁whether ▁this ▁last ▁resort ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁suggested ▁earlier . ▁As ▁it ▁was ▁revealed ▁later , ▁rum ours ▁about ▁the ▁Alter ▁Mann ▁as ▁a ▁possible ▁refuge ▁had ▁been ▁raised ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁two ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁flo oding . ▁However ▁these ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁taken ▁into ▁account ▁till ▁the ▁formal ▁attempt ▁by ▁H üt ter . ▁Der ▁Sp iegel ▁described ▁some ▁rum ours ▁about ▁East ▁German ▁invol vement ▁against ▁critics ▁as ▁well ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁psych ological ▁bar rier ▁between ▁different ▁hierarchy ▁levels ▁as ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁late ▁search ▁in ▁the ▁Alter ▁Mann . ▁ ▁Media ▁presence ▁The ▁turn ▁of ▁events , ▁with ▁the ▁various ▁dram atic ▁efforts ▁to ▁reach ▁and ▁rescue ▁the ▁surv iv ors , ▁attract ed ▁international ▁media ▁attention . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁st iff ▁competition ▁between ▁the ▁ 3 6 5 ▁press ▁people ▁and ▁ 8 3 ▁journal ists ▁and ▁techn icians ▁of ▁TV ▁and ▁radio ▁stations . ▁The ▁rep or ters ▁used ▁fixed ▁tele phone ▁lines ▁tempor arily ▁provided ▁and ▁le ased ▁by ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁L eng ede . ▁Press ▁rep orter ▁Ger hard ▁Mau z ▁and ▁his ▁Volks wagen ▁be et le ▁got ▁celebr ity ▁status , ▁since ▁he ▁had ▁occupied ▁a ▁central ▁place ▁ 5 0 ▁m ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁bore hole ▁and ▁was ▁using ▁the ▁phone ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁railway ▁station ▁inn ▁to ▁report ▁from ▁the ▁car . ▁ ▁O thers , ▁especially ▁press ▁people , ▁were ▁less ▁luck y . ▁A ▁French ▁press ▁journalist , ▁Jean