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Mysterious death: 73-year-old found in the Baltic Sea near Travemünde!
A 73-year-old man was found lifeless in the Baltic Sea in Lübeck-Travemünde. The criminal police are investigating the cause of death.
Mysterious death: 73-year-old found in the Baltic Sea near Travemünde!
On Tuesday afternoon, July 2, 2025, a tragic incident was reported in the Baltic Sea near Travemünde. A 73-year-old man from the Segeberg district was discovered lifeless by a bather on Priwall Beach around 4 p.m. The water rescue service was quickly on the scene and recovered the man's body, but all efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He died on site, as did both Picture as well as News.de report.
The Lübeck criminal police have now started investigations to clarify the exact cause of death. So far there is no evidence of foul play, which makes the situation a particularly sad case. The man had been in the water inconspicuously a few minutes before he was found, the police reported. His body was sent to the forensic medicine department for further examinations.
A look at the historical background
While the circumstances surrounding the 73-year-old's death are currently being closely investigated, there is a broader context surrounding unpleasant events in the Baltic Sea. According to a current study by the University of Greifswald, which presents results on deaths of GDR citizens during escape attempts, a total of 212 deaths were documented between November 2018 and February 2023, with 135 of these deaths occurring in the Baltic Sea. These escape attempts are often a desperate attempt to escape oppression, which in the past has ended for many with the ultimate consequence, death.
The project, led by Prof. Dr. Hubertus Buchstein, examines the life stories of those affected and the anonymous fates associated with these tragic events. This raises the question of how important it is not to forget such stories. The majority of those who drowned were teenagers and young men who tried to fight for a better life in the period between the construction of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The results of this research will soon be published in a book entitled "Deadly Baltic Sea Escapes from the GDR (1961-89). A biographical handbook" that sheds light on the fate and background of these deaths.
The tragedy of the current incident in Travemünde reminds us that the water that represents exercise and relaxation can also be treacherous. The community's thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased man as the investigation continues.