Four children died while bathing in the north in just two weeks. : www.kinderaerzte-im-netz.de

Currents in rivers, unhealthy temperature fluctuations in lakes, sudden differences in depth in gravel pits, poor swimming skills, overconfidence – there are many dangers lurking in bathing. After several fatal accidents in the past week, Schleswig-Holstein’s Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack and the life-saving company DLRG called for caution and vigilance. “That is horrific,” said Sütterlin-Waack in Kiel in view of the recent deaths.

In Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, several children and young people had fatal accidents in rivers and lakes. “Do not overestimate yourself, pay attention to each other and especially to children!” Warned Sütterlin-Waack. “And be sure to follow the instructions from the emergency services!”

The main dangers lay in inland waters. Only 6% of all drownings occurred on the well-guarded coasts of the North and Baltic Seas. The situation is serious, the DLRG is very worried about safety on the water. Many dangerous situations could be avoided if elementary rules are followed. Möller emphasized that you should not bathe in unfamiliar and unsupervised waters.

Bathing in flowing waters with heavy shipping traffic should also be avoided. “Swimming in the Elbe is like playing on the A7 or A1 autobahns – it’s just life-threatening.” Last weekend, a nine-year-old girl at Kollmar’s bathing in the Elbe got caught in a current and disappeared in the water. Her body was found on Tuesday (June 22nd).

The minister thanked the DLRG for their commitment: Last year they saved 195 people in the north from drowning, in the past ten years 1250. The DLRG generally expects more swimming accidents this year – also because of the canceled swimming lessons in the Corona-pandemic fewer children had learned to swim.

At least 17 people drowned in Germany this month, said Möller. A dramatic increase in the number of non-swimmers is particularly problematic. 60% percent of children could not swim safely after primary school. In Schleswig-Holstein, 30,000 children have not been able to learn to swim since the beginning of the corona pandemic; the waiting lists for courses sometimes lasted up to two years. This is due to the lack of suitable swimming areas in pools, explained Möller. The trainers are available. Many bathrooms are in need of renovation or have been closed. Möller called on municipalities, the state and operators to preserve pools that are on the verge of failure. In Germany, a bathroom is unfortunately closed every four days.

Sütterlin-Waack confirmed the renovation backlog. As an example of aid from the state, she named the bath in Elsdorf-Westermühlen (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district), which is now receiving one million euros.

Sütterlin-Waack appealed to parents to accept the significantly expanded offers for swimming courses and not to be put off by waiting lists. Even before the pandemic began, the country had significantly increased the funds for voluntary swimming and rescue training. In order to be able to reduce the corona-related backlog, the funds were increased by 280,000 to 400,000 euros.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the state supported the renovation of communal swimming pools from 2015 to 2020 with 11.5 million euros from the special “Impulse” program. Another million are planned from this pot for the current year. In addition, around 17 million euros have come from federal and state urban development funds since 2015. In a survey, around 120 cities, authorities and municipalities stated that as of October 1, around half of 48 indoor pools and 66 outdoor pools were in need of renovation.

Source: dpa

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