The German Life Saving Society (DLRG) reported that at the start of the year, 320 fatal water accidents had occurred. Although this figure is slightly below the 328 recorded in the previous year, the DLRG announced on Wednesday that more people drowned during the summer swimming season compared to the same period last year.
Between early May and the end of the summer holidays, 248 deaths were registered-an increase of twelve fatalities from the same time last year. June was particularly high-risk, recording at least 101 drowning incidents, attributed to persistently high temperatures and the resulting influx of people into bodies of water. Focusing on the most accident-prone months, May to August, roughly 43 percent of all deaths occurred during the first month of summer, marking a new record high.
Young men are cited as being particularly vulnerable, often engaging in avoidable risks. Since the beginning of the year, at least 88 people aged eleven to 30 have drowned, representing 15 more deaths than recorded throughout the entire previous year. Over 90 percent of those accidents involving this age group occurred among males. Conversely, the number of deaths among seniors declined significantly; one-third of victims in the older age bracket were over 60 years old, accounting for 84 fatalities-a reduction of 24 compared to the previous year.
Most deaths took place in lakes and ponds, while rivers and streams recorded fewer accidents. In lakes and ponds, 146 victims were recorded, four more than the previous year. In rivers and streams, fewer incidents were reported (120 versus 103). The DLRG statistics also currently show an increase in deaths in canals (+9), the sea (+2), and swimming pools (+2).
Contrary to the overall national trend, more fatalities occurred in several specific states: North Rhine-Westphalia (+16), Saxony (+10), Schleswig-Holstein (+4), Berlin (+3), and Rhineland-Palatinate (+2). Bavaria recorded the most fatal incidents in absolute numbers. Up until the end of the summer holidays in Bavaria, 61 people died, compared to 73 during the same period the previous year. In total, 24 individuals perished due to accidents involving boats and water sports equipment such as kayaks or SUP boards.
