Canoeists on the Lippe cause a major incident

Recklessness - Canoeists on the Lippe cause a major incident

Reckless canoeists on the flooded Lippe triggered a major operation in Hünxe on Thursday involving a total of 70 emergency services and three rescue helicopters.

According to the Hünxe fire department, it initially involved two canoeists who had capsized and were floating in the water. The fire department rescued them with a boat before they were taken to hospital. A rescue helicopter from Duisburg was deployed to search for any other missing persons. A second rescue helicopter requested from Cologne was able to abort the approach.

During this operation, the control center reported another canoeist who had capsized. He was able to make it to the shore under his own power. He was also taken to hospital. Two other canoeists were spotted floating on the Lippe by the rescue helicopter from Duisburg, which was alerted again, and a SAR helicopter of the German Armed Forces from Nörvenich.

DLRG river rescuers went out in two boats to escort the canoeists to safety. The canoeists did not comply with the request to leave the high water area. Then one of them capsized. He was also rescued and taken to hospital. The last canoeist was able to leave the Lippe in the Wesel area under his own steam. He was picked up by the police there.

According to the information provided, a total of around 50 firefighters, 20 DLRG emergency services, several ambulances and emergency doctors, police and three rescue helicopters were deployed. "Such a large-scale operation by the aid organizations could have been avoided", the statement continued.

Press release (with images)

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1. In response to the recklessness displayed by several canoeists during their leisure time activity on the Lippe river in North Rhine-Westphalia, a large-scale rescue operation was launched.
2. Despite the bad weather conditions, the Fire Department, along with the DLRG (German Water Rescue Service), and several other emergency services, including three rescue helicopters from different locations, worked together to ensure the safety of the canoeists.
3. One of the rescue helicopters, based in Duisburg, was initially deployed to search for missing persons after the initial incident, but later had to abandon its approach due to unforeseen circumstances.
4. Another rescue helicopter, this time from Cologne, was called in to help, but managed to abort its approach due to the operational challenges posed by the bad weather.
5. The bad weather, coupled with the canoeists' apparent recklessness in venturing into the high water area during an emergency, resulted in a series of incidents, including capsized canoes and stranded canoeists.
6. The city of Duisburg's Emergency Services played a crucial role in the operation, deploying its resources to the scene and contributing to the safe rescue of several canoeists.
7. In a statement issued later, the Fire Department expressed its disappointment at the recklessness displayed by the canoeists, emphasizing that such emergencies could have been avoided with more responsible behavior during leisure time activities in bad weather conditions.

Source: www.stern.de