Lower Saxony’s state fire director Dieter Rohrberg has sharply criticized people who canoe, kite surf or even swim in floodwaters. “That is absolutely unreasonable,” said Rohrberg. “Not only is it negligent and self-endangering, but it also repeatedly ties up emergency services that we need much more urgently in other places.” As state fire director, Rohrberg oversees the fire departments of the state of Lower Saxony.
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For example, the large-scale operation to rescue a swimmer in the flooded area of Hanover stunned the emergency services. A woman alerted the fire department that a person could have been swept away by the current. During the search with 85 emergency services, witnesses reported seeing a swimmer in a wetsuit and swimming cap. He got out of the water and rode away on his bike. “This is of course life-threatening,” said Jörg Rühle, spokesman for the Hanover fire department. Since the flood began, the authorities have been constantly warning people not to go into the flood areas.
Careless canoeists or cyclists often bear the cost of rescuing them from the floods. “The polluter pays principle often applies,” said Rohrberg. The costs are therefore at least in the three-digit range. Depending on the number of emergency services, the costs for such a rescue operation could reach four figures.
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Lower Saxony’s state fire director Dieter Rohrberg has sharply criticized people who canoe, kite surf or even swim in floodwaters. “That is absolutely unreasonable,” said Rohrberg. “Not only is it negligent and self-endangering, but it also repeatedly ties up emergency services that we need much more urgently in other places.” As state fire director, Rohrberg oversees the fire departments of the state of Lower Saxony.
For example, the large-scale operation to rescue a swimmer in the flooded area of Hanover stunned the emergency services. A woman alerted the fire department that a person could have been swept away by the current. During the search with 85 emergency services, witnesses reported seeing a swimmer in a wetsuit and swimming cap. He got out of the water and rode away on his bike. “This is of course life-threatening,” said Jörg Rühle, spokesman for the Hanover fire department. Since the flood began, the authorities have been constantly warning people not to go into the flood areas.
2024-01-08 07:06:57
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