Drama in Schleswig-Holstein: Bloody accidents and dangerous blue-green algae!

Drama in Schleswig-Holstein: Bloody accidents and dangerous blue-green algae!

A wild summer in Schleswig-Holstein: In addition to bright sunshine and warm temperatures, this season there have been repeated alarming reports that dampen the joy of swimming. The emergence of dangerous blue-green algae in particular is causing increasing uncertainty among water lovers.

The devil's stuff, as some people probably call it, is spreading in many lakes and bodies of water. In particular, the Möllner Luisenbad and the Ritzerauer See were banned from swimming, with the Möllner Luisenbad until at least July 25th. You also need to be careful at Lake Bordesholm: there is a swimming warning here until September 15th, although the bathing area remains open. Nevertheless, the situation could worsen at any time, as tagesschau.de reports.

Health risks from blue-green algae

The Ministry of Health warns urgently about the dangers that blue-green algae can pose. Contact or ingestion of the water can cause skin irritation, nausea and even shortness of breath. Even our four-legged friends are not safe when drinking from contaminated water. Dogs can suffer significant health damage from contact with blue-green algae, which is why pet owners should be particularly vigilant. According to apotheken-umschau.de, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk.

What exactly are blue-green algae? These cyanobacteria are found in almost all bodies of water and produce a blooming, rapidly growing mass at high temperatures, which often appears in a characteristic blue-greenish color. When the water temperature rises above 20 degrees, the danger is particularly great. Not only global warming is responsible for this, but also nutrient inputs from agriculture, as ndr.de reports.

Current events

In addition to the health concerns, summer in Schleswig-Holstein also has other facets. On Tuesday evening, an accident on the A7 near Quickborn caused a stir when a car collided with a construction vehicle. The driver was seriously injured and the passenger was slightly injured. The motorway had to be closed for two hours between Quickborn and Schnelsen-Nord.

In Itzehoe, around 50 firefighters had to extinguish a single-family home that burned to the ground. Fortunately, one person in the house was rescued in time. Another incident also caused a stir at Lake Mözen: Around 100 emergency services were looking for a missing woman who was traveling on a stand-up paddle board. The search had to be called off after five hours without success.

The number of school dropouts in Schleswig-Holstein increased again last year, which poses new challenges for education policy. In the first half of this school year, there were 2,299 cases of school absenteeism, equivalent to more than 40 days of absence, an increase compared to last year.

The situation in Schleswig-Holstein remains exciting. While some people want to refresh themselves at the lake, others have to be careful not to end up in the harmful waters. One piece of good advice for everyone remains: Avoid badly affected swimming lakes and regularly find out about the water quality!