Water hazards in Hamburg: as many drowned people as in the previous year

Water hazards in Hamburg: as many drowned people as in the previous year

Current developments in swimming and security protection
Drinking accidents in Hamburg: The timeless problem of security in the water

The number of drowning accidents in Hamburg remains worryingly stable, due to inadequate safety precautions and poor sensitization of the population.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of ten people drowned in Hamburg. This number corresponds exactly to that of the previous annual period. This suggests that despite increased efforts to promote awareness of security when swimming, no significant progress has been made. The deaths occurred in different waters, including rivers, canals and lakes.

The German Life Settlement Society (DLRG) expressed that eight men and a woman are among the victims, while gender remains unknown in one case. The DLRG points out that the dangers in the water are often underestimated. "It is important that people realistically assess what they can do in a water," explains Ute Vogt, President of the DLRG, when presenting the data. It makes it clear that many other tragic incidents could have been prevented without a more stable summer.

A comprehensive problem can also be determined nationwide: From January to July 2024, at least 253 people in Germany died by drowning - that is 35 cases more than in the same period last year. The DLRG attributes this to a lack of precautionary measures and inadequate awareness of its own security in the water.

The DLRG, with over 1.9 million members one of the largest water rescue organizations worldwide, is committed to increasing the security standards and conveying important knowledge of safe swimming for citizens. Your programs aim to improve the population's swimming skills and minimize threats in the water.

The tragedy of these events raises questions about swimming skills and safety precautions at popular bathing areas. While the temperatures rise and more people flock to the water, it remains of the utmost importance to pay attention to security when swimming. Regular training, sensitization campaigns and access to rescue swimmers could help people to swim more safely and avoid accidents.