Notfalls - Eight-year-olds rescued from drowning on stages
Lifeguards rescued another child from the stages at Graal-Müritz beach, near drowning. The eight-year-old girl from Sachsen-Anhalt had gotten into the shallow waters before the stages at afternoon with wind force four to five from the west, said DLRG section leader André Rieckhoff.
"She had clung to something and was pulled underwater by the current." According to Rieckhoff, DLRG rescuers saved the child from the water, who had suffered scratches on her legs and had been terrified. Two children had been rescued from the same stages two weeks earlier. Once again, a strong wind was blowing from the west.
Warning against swimming at stages
Rieckhoff warned of the danger at the stages. With strong winds, currents parallel to the coast are formed, and the seabed can be sucked out in a cone shape up to three meters deep at the stages. Swimmers are driven towards the stages and suddenly lose contact with the ground under their feet. Not all can free themselves from this situation and risk drowning. Children, the elderly, and poor swimmers are particularly endangered.
In both cases, Rieckhoff reported that due to the strong wind, the yellow flag had been hoisted. Non-swimmers and insecure swimmers should not enter the water. Parents should always keep their children in sight at the beach.
Stages are rows of wooden poles that lead from the shore into the sea. They are placed to prevent sand accretions from the beach.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, similar warnings about the dangers of swimming at stages are often needed due to strong winds. Despite this, unfortunate incidents like the one in Saxony-Anhalt still occur, highlighting the importance of heeding these warnings. The DLRG, being a vital part of beach safety, continues to actively rescue children from such hazardous situations.
