A tragedy occurs in a natural outdoor pool near Aachen. Two children from Great Britain can suddenly no longer be found. Then a helper discovers the missing people lifeless in the water. Despite resuscitation, any help comes too late for her.
After a swimming accident in Simmerath near Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia, two children died. This was announced by a police spokeswoman in the morning. According to the police, the seven and nine-year-old brothers were reported missing by their parents early Thursday evening at the natural outdoor pool on the Rursee in Simmerath. After the Technical Relief Agency and the German Life Saving Society (DLRG) were alerted, a first responder found the children lifeless in the water.
Rescue workers were able to resuscitate them first and flew them to hospitals in a helicopter. There they died. The police were initially unable to say why the accident happened. According to information from the public prosecutor's office in Aachen, the boys were in Germany as British tourists. The public prosecutor's office is currently examining whether there is a suspicion of a criminal offence. A spokeswoman said it could be a form of negligence. "We don't focus on anyone in particular, we just do our job," she emphasized.
Only four weeks ago there was a fatal accident in the natural outdoor pool. According to the police, a 16-year-old boy, accompanied by a ten-year-old, jumped into the water. Both were apparently non-swimmers and threatened to sink. First responders managed to save the younger child. The youth was rescued lifeless from the water two hours later by divers.
At least 199 people have drowned in German waters in the first seven months of this year. The DLRG announced that there were 15 victims more than at the same time last year. The cut-off date for the census was July 20. Accordingly, most accidents happened inland on unguarded waters. 180 people drowned in open water such as rivers and lakes, which corresponds to 90 percent of the cases.
