Tragic accident at Eibsee: father and son rescued dead from the water

Tragic accident at Eibsee: father and son rescued dead from the water

On July 14, 2025, a tragic story happened at Eibsee that not only shocked the local community. The bodies of a six-year-old boy and his 33-year-old father were recovered after a week-long intensive search. The two missing men were Chinese nationals, and the circumstances surrounding their disappearance have kept investigators on tenterhooks. The police press spokesman, Stefan Sonntag, announced that it was an unfortunate water accident with no evidence of external influence. The recovery was carried out by a specialist underwater engineering company, which discovered the bodies at a depth of around 24 meters; the Eibsee itself has a maximum depth of up to 36 meters, which made the rescue a complex task. The Garmisch-Partenkirchen criminal police have now taken over the investigation and will reconstruct the exact circumstances of the accident in the next two to three weeks.

How dangerous it can be at Lake Eibsee has only recently become apparent: just four days earlier, 16 tourists from India had to be rescued when they stepped onto the lake's dangerous ice surface despite the sunny spring heat. This group had to fight under dramatic conditions with injuries and a critical health condition of a 25-year-old man who had to be resuscitated and treated in intensive care. However, the rapid response forces and witnesses showed great commitment and were able to rescue several people from the water, so that all of the injured, apart from the 25-year-old, are now out of danger [Süddeutsche] reports that some of the young adults from an age group of 22 to 29 years fell into the water, but were fortunately able to save themselves to the bank.

Safety on the water

Despite these tragic incidents, it shows how central the water rescue service is in Germany and Austria. Organizations such as the German Life Saving Society (DLRG) or their Austrian counterparts provide an invaluable service to ensure safety on rivers, lakes and coasts. The water rescue service plays a key role by protecting people and animals from the dangers of swimming and boating, treating the injured and also carrying out rescues [x-water] emphasizes that continuous training of emergency services is crucial. This also includes training in basic and specialized rescue techniques, which can make the difference between life and death in an emergency.

In light of recent incidents, it is important that both locals and tourists are aware of the dangers that bodies of water can pose. Even small inattention or misunderstandings when assessing the current conditions can have fatal consequences. That's why not only the work of the rescue workers is so important, but also the mindfulness and sense of responsibility of the people who are in these beautiful but dangerous places.

We hope that the criminal police's investigation will quickly clarify the circumstances and remember the two lives lost. At the same time, it is time to raise awareness about water safety, because despite the beauty that nature offers us, it also poses dangers that we should not lose sight of.

For further information on water rescue services and their important role in disaster prevention, see [x-water].