Swimmers in the Rhine near Bonn: Major alarm after life-threatening mission!

Swimmers in the Rhine near Bonn: Major alarm after life-threatening mission!

On Sunday evening, June 22, 2025, there was a sometimes dramatic large-scale operation by the fire department, DLRG and water police on the Rhine near Bonn. At around 7:00 p.m., several swimmers were reported in the middle of the river near Mehlem, who apparently could no longer reach the bank. Over 50 emergency services from Bonn, Königswinter and Bad Honnef responded at full speed, supported by a rescue helicopter. Despite an intensive search, the question remains: What happened to the swimmers?

After an exciting hour of operational tactics, it finally turned out that the swimmers had reached the bank in the area of ​​the Rheinhotel Dreesen on their own, without the emergency services noticing. The operation was called off after about an hour, but the authorities used the opportunity to issue an important warning: The Rhine is extremely dangerous as a federal waterway with heavy shipping traffic. Swimming or bathing in this body of water should be strictly avoided, as it is often impossible to tell whether people are in distress, as Tixio reports.

The security situation in the water

The incident in Bonn is not an isolated case. The DLRG recently published alarming statistics. In 2023, the organization recorded 411 fatal accidents in waterways in Germany, an increase of 31 deaths compared to the previous year. It is the third year in a row with an increasing trend in drownings. DLRG President Ute Vogt hopes that people will become more aware of the upcoming warm season and move more safely in the water, according to the DLRG.

A look at the figures so far this year shows a worrying development. So far, at least 253 people have drowned in Germany in 2024 - 35 more than in the same period in 2023. 150 people have already drowned since the bathing season began in May. The increase can be observed particularly in rivers: there were 92 drownings compared to the previous year, which illustrates the third increase in a row, as also reported by ZDF Today.

Swimming in the best waters

The DLRG warns urgently about the risks of swimming in rivers and recommends always only swimming in patrolled waters. Men are particularly affected - in 76 percent of the cases, those who drowned were male. Tragically, older people with underlying health conditions are also particularly at risk; almost every third person who died was over 71 years old. This makes it all the more important to exercise proper caution when bathing.

In order to minimize risks, the DLRG offers some useful tips: Wearing life jackets during water sports, cooling down slowly in high heat and avoiding alcohol and drugs are measures that can save lives. Climate change and associated rising water temperatures and flooding could also be factors contributing to rising drowning rates.
So remember: safety in the water comes first! Let us all work together to reduce these tragic numbers in the future.