A recent evaluation by the German Life Saving Society (DLRG) revealed that at least 99 people drowned in June, a figure not seen in over two decades. A large proportion of the victims were men, many of whom were under 30 years old.
In response to these high drowning rates, the leader of the Left Party, Luigi Pantisano, called for the federal government to provide better support to local municipalities. According to Pantisano, the federal government must ensure that towns and communities are prepared for increasingly hot summers. His demands include reliable funding for local authorities, the expansion of public swimming pools and safe bathing areas, better provisions for shade and drinking water, and free swimming lessons for every child. He criticized the current situation, arguing that instead, swimming pools are being closed, municipalities are being underfunded, and public infrastructure is being left to decay. Pantisano warned that with heatwaves becoming the new normal, “anyone who ignores this and continues to cut public services is arbitrarily endangering further lives.”
Bettina Lugk, the sports policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, expressed alarm over the high number of bathing deaths. She emphasized that the statistics underline the critical necessity of being able to swim safely. She stressed that proper practice and experience-provided through sufficient swimming courses led by qualified professionals-are essential, noting that swimming halls and open-air pools are indispensable learning environments.
Janosch Dahmen, the Green Party’s spokesperson for health policy, urged that drowning prevention be integrated into local heat action plans. His proposals included improving warning signs at lakes and rivers, increasing the number of qualified water supervisors at busy bathing spots, strengthening swimming abilities among children and adolescents, and conducting targeted education, particularly for young men.
Meanwhile, Alexander Throm (CDU), the Union faction’s spokesperson for domestic policy, called for increased public awareness regarding the issue. He suggested that many of the accidents could have been avoided and that the topic deserved more sensitivity, adding that such statistics should hopefully serve as a deterrent due to their widespread coverage.
