So far, the summer in Germany has been rather changeable - but the number of people who have died in swimming and water accidents has increased. According to the DLRG's interim report, around 150 people have drowned since the start of the bathing season at the beginning of May alone . By the way, there are especially many in rivers. Matthias Herreiner reports on the causes: The Elbe near Hamburg-Blankenese. The emergency services from the fire department and the German Life Saving Society are feverishly searching for a 10-year-old student. The girl suddenly went under, her sister tried to hold her, but the current was too strong. After hours of searching with boats , a helicopter and a drone, the rescue workers gave up and had to assume that the child had drowned, according to a spokesman. The current in rivers in particular is often underestimated: "Rivers are not suitable for swimming. Especially not for crossing them by swimming. But we even have mild cases where someone only goes into the water up to their knees and it comes a wave, maybe a boat is coming, which has caused a wave or an undercurrent and it takes your legs away and you are carried away. These are the most tragic cases that happen." For the third time in a row, fatal accidents increased By July 31, 2024 there were 92 cases, in the comparable period of 2023 there were 77. Children and old people are particularly at risk - the reasons: "Not being able to swim safely. I think that's the be -all and end-all. For older people There are often medical reasons as well, which then have an even more drastic effect in the water and overestimation of one's self." The water temperature is also often underestimated; rivers are significantly colder than standing water and cold shock can occur. In the Eisbach, in the English Garden in Munich, fatal swimming accidents occur again and again. A 26-year-old student drowned there about a month ago. Surfing is only permitted here for professionals, swimming is prohibited. The best protection against drowning is and remains being able to swim well, and that's what's lacking. More and more people in Germany cannot swim at all.