DLRG: Nearly Twice as Many Drowning Deaths in Saxony

The number of drowning deaths in Saxony has nearly doubled compared to the same period last year. Between the beginning of the year and the end of July, 13 people drowned in Saxony’s waters, according to the German Life-Saving Association (DLRG). During the same period last year, there were seven drowning deaths.

Most Drowning Deaths Occurred in Lakes and Involved Men

According to the report, most of the drowning deaths occurred in lakes—six of the 13 cases took place there. In addition, the vast majority of the victims were male. In Saxony, according to the DLRG, nine of the drowning victims were male, two were female, and the gender was unknown in the other two incidents.

Nationwide as well, most drowning victims were male—85 percent across all age groups, according to the DLRG. DLRG President Ute Vogt said that reckless behavior—such as that associated with alcohol and other drugs—leads to a particularly high number of swimming accidents among boys and young men. “Some people can’t swim at all or can barely swim, and they put their lives at risk completely unnecessarily. There’s no prize to be won in a swimming lake, only the risk of losing your life,” said Vogt.

15 More Drowning Deaths Nationwide, Most in June

According to the DLRG’s report, there have been 15 more drowning deaths nationwide so far compared to the same period last year. In the first seven months of the year, at least 261 people lost their lives in bodies of water. According to the report, nearly 40 percent of the cases (101) occurred in June. The last time there were over 100 drowning deaths in June was 23 years ago, the report noted.

In the weeks following the extreme heat wave at the end of June, the DLRG reported fewer deaths. However, even in July, 59 people drowned—six more than in the same month last year.