Lucia Sisic, who was crowned Miss Austria in 2024, has died at 22, Mission Austria confirmed in a tribute posted Monday, Sept. 7.
Mission Austria, the organization behind the Miss Austria and Mister Austria competitions, announced Sisic’s death on its official Facebook page.
CEO Kerstin Rigger and her husband, Jörg, described her as a wonderful young woman and offered condolences to her family, friends and loved ones.
Sisic’s death came while she was still the reigning Miss Austria. Die Presse, Oe24 and Kronen Zeitung reported that no new competition had taken place since her 2024 victory, leaving her as the current titleholder.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear. No cause of death has been publicly confirmed by Mission Austria or the other sources cited in the reports.
Sisic had publicly discussed living with a serious congenital heart condition. Speaking to Heute in 2024, she said her first operation took place shortly after her birth and recalled missing activities such as school sports weeks during childhood.
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She later revealed that she had undergone seven heart surgeries, with her most recent procedure taking place the previous winter, according to Austrian media reports.
In an Instagram post in August 2024, Sisic thanked the pediatric cardiology specialists who had treated her throughout her childhood.
She said their efforts had repeatedly helped save her life as she prepared to transition to adult cardiology care.
Herzkinder Österreich, an Austrian charity supporting children with heart conditions, also paid tribute to Sisic, remembering her as a courageous and joyful young woman who wanted to encourage others living with congenital heart defects.
