Tragic beginning: 71-year-old dies on the first Saturday of the Oktoberfest!

Tragic beginning: 71-year-old dies on the first Saturday of the Oktoberfest!

A tragic incident occurred on the first Saturday of Oktoberfest 2025 that overshadowed the joy of the event. In the early hours of the morning, emergency services received an emergency call about a lifeless person at the showmen's caravan. The Oktoberfest ambulance, consisting of an experienced team of two doctors, was on site just three minutes after the alarm. Unfortunately, the resuscitation measures that were initiated immediately were not successful. The person who died was a 71-year-old woman whose relatives were also being cared for by a crisis intervention team. The police spoke of a routine operation; Unfortunately, such cases occur frequently in Munich, as merkur.de reports.

However, this wasn't the only medical emergency that day. For example, a young man suspected of having a stroke was examined at around 9:30 a.m. In total, the rescue workers recorded almost 500 missions on the first day of the festival - a new record. In addition to the more serious incidents, there were also many minor injuries, including cuts and abrasions, circulatory problems and allergic reactions. One striking incident was the alcohol poisoning of an 18-year-old American with an alcohol level of 2.9 per mille who did not know how many pints of beer he had consumed, reported [augsburger- Allgemeine.de](https://www.augsburger- Allgemeine.de/bayern/blaulicht/todesfall-auf-oktoberfest-muenchen-2025-aicher-ambulanz-rund-500-mal-im-satz-an-wiesn-tag-1-111133570).

Increase in operations and new measures

The high number of medical incidents could also be due to the warm temperatures at the end of September. Chief physician Philip Kampmann explained that one patient is expected for every 1,000 visitors and that weather conditions can have a significant impact on patient numbers. In addition, the Aicher Ambulanz Union has been the medical service provider at the Oktoberfest for six years and has provided around 550 trained staff for the 16 days of the festival. Modern technologies have now also found their way in: a computer tomograph is used to quickly diagnose falls and head injuries. The website findmybuddy.com is available for relatives to check the status of patients, and the Safe Now app has been expanded to call for help in more marquees, such as [abendzeitung-muenchen.de].

Despite the increased volume of operations this year, there was a decrease in the number of patients treated compared to 2024: from 5,801 last year to 2,891 this year. The medical stations were strategically arranged on the festival grounds, and larger medical containers are being used for the first time at three external locations. This makes patient transport much easier - a measure that could prove extremely valuable.

It remains to be seen how the next few days of the Oktoberfest will develop. What is certain, however, is that both the safety of visitors and the quality of medical care have the highest priority. This year more than ever, the organizers, rescue workers and paramedics need a good hand to make Oktoberfest an unforgettable experience - in the best sense of the word.