Tragic swimming accidents: Boy dies in Italy, holiday joy spoiled!

Tragic swimming accidents: Boy dies in Italy, holiday joy spoiled!

A tragic swimming accident occurred on June 15, 2025 in Italy's Lido delle Nazioni, where a six-year-old German boy died while on vacation. The incident happened at a campsite in the popular holiday region on the Adriatic. Despite immediate medical attention and a rescue helicopter taking the boy to hospital, he died shortly after his arrival. The exact cause of death is currently unclear and an autopsy has been ordered to shed light on the matter. Express reports.

The Baltic Sea is badly affected by the current swimming accidents in Germany. Another misfortune happened there when a 71-year-old from Stralsund died while swimming. Her lifeless body was discovered by a swimmer around 5:30 p.m.; Despite attempts at resuscitation, the emergency doctor could only determine death. There was also tragic news in Bavaria: A 32-year-old man was rescued from Lake Starnberg, but also died despite all attempts at resuscitation. A 23-year-old student who was swimming with friends has been missing since then.

Increasing number of swimming accidents in Germany

The sad reality is that the number of fatal swimming accidents in Germany is continuously increasing. According to the German Life Saving Society (DLRG), around 380 swimming accidents occur every year, with the number of deaths rising to at least 378 in 2023 - a huge increase compared to 355 in 2022 and 299 in 2021. The data up to July 2024 is particularly striking: 253 deaths have already been registered, 35 more than in the previous year. DLRG information show that around 85 to 90 percent of accidents occur in inland waters such as lakes and rivers, often in unguarded places.

The main causes of these tragic incidents are often lack of swimming ability, carelessness, especially in men, and health problems in the elderly. DLRG President Ute Vogt also emphasizes that the heat in combination with jumping into the water can be particularly dangerous and appeals to parents to inform their children about these risks. A new campaign aims to draw attention to the dangers of accidents in garden ponds and paddling pools.

Statistics and developments

The DLRG recorded a total of 411 deaths in German waters in 2023, an increase of 31 compared to the previous year. This is the third increase in the number of drownings in a row and more than 400 victims for the first time since 2019. Almost half of all fatal accidents occurred in the summer months from June 2024. In August 2024, 80 people drowned, a dramatic increase of 33 compared to the previous year.

The frightening picture is reinforced by the age structure of the victims: over 60 percent of those who died were older than 50 years. While the DLRG continues to work to raise awareness of the dangers of swimming, statistical data makes it clear that of the 411 bathing deaths, 311 were men and 90 were women. The number of deceased children (up to 10 years old) also fell to 14, a lower level compared to the previous year (17). Tagesschau summarizes.