Urgent Situations - Man missing after swim accident; presumed dead during rescue attempt.
Over the past weekend, two people are reported missing in North Rhine-Westphalia following swimming incidents in the Rhine and a lake in Münsterland. In Düsseldorf, a 34-year-old man leapt into the Rhine to assist his wife, who was in distress, but ended up facing difficulty himself. As the man struggled in the current, emergency services managed to save his wife and retrieve her. She is currently receiving intense medical treatment in the hospital. The couple's children, who witnessed the incident, are under the care of emergency chaplains. Additionally, other family members were present, according to a spokesperson for the Düsseldorf Fire Department.
The rescue operations for the man in the Rhine involve the deployment of boats, helicopters, and land forces. However, on Monday, a spokesperson stated that the search for the missing man had been temporarily halted. The high speed of the Rhine's current makes it challenging to estimate where he might be located. The Rhine currently has a higher-than-normal water level as a result of the flood in Saarland.
In Kreis Steinfurt, a 41-year-old man has been missing since Sunday evening. The police spokesperson mentioned that helicopters and divers would carry out a search once more on Monday. The man fell into the water while on a kayak on a lake near Lotte. A second man, also from the kayak, was rescued. Despite an extensive multi-hour search effort involving divers, helicopters, and drones on Sunday, the man was not located.
The Rhine is a federal waterway with no universal swimming ban, according to a spokesperson for the Düsseldorf Fire Department. However, there are bans in specific locations, such as in front of buildings like bridges or at harbor entrances. The spokesperson also warned against swimming anywhere due to the rapid currents. These currents can be hidden beneath the calm surface of the water, and the suction of passing ships poses yet another hazard.
In Germany, 378 people drowned in 2023, a higher number than the previous year. The German Life-Saving Association (DLRG) reported 355 fatal drowning accidents in 2022. Unguarded inland waters accounted for 90% of these incidents where lifeguards were unavailable in an emergency.
The DLRG found that rivers and canals were more dangerous than in the previous year, with 135 drowning victims recorded - up from 105 last year. The number of drowning accidents in North Rhine-Westphalia was decreasing compared to the national trend in 2023. Weather conditions also appeared to contribute to the total, as more people visit water bodies during sunny days.
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The helicopters deployed in the rescue operation in Steinfurt are based in North Rhine-Westphalia's fire departments. The woman in Düsseldorf is deeply affected by her husband's disappearance during the swimming incident. The fire department advised against swimming in the Rhine given the dangerous currents and hidden suction points. In 2023, Germany experienced a rise in drowning incidents, particularly in rivers and canals.
Source: www.stern.de
