Multiple swimmers missing or dead in German waters as heatwave draws crowds to lakes and rivers

Missing in Altrip pond

One man disappeared while swimming in a pond in Altrip, Rhineland-Palatinate, on Saturday. Police in Schifferstadt launched a large search operation but found no trace that day or the following morning.

Immediate search measures of all kinds have so far not led to finding the person.

Three disappear in the Rhine at Biblis

Also on Saturday, a 50-year-old man went swimming in the Rhine near Biblis, Hesse, and did not return. During the search, passers-by on the riverbank alerted a police boat that two non-swimmers aged 23 and 27 had vanished in the strong current. Immediate searches were unsuccessful. On Sunday morning, a police spokeswoman said

We have to assume the worst.

No further search operations were planned.

Drowning in Rheinstetten

In Baden-Württemberg, a 23-year-old man drowned in a bathing lake in Rheinstetten near Karlsruhe on Saturday. Rescue workers recovered his body from the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Heatwave and safety warnings

High summer temperatures have drawn large crowds to lakes and rivers across Germany. Police in Schifferstadt urged swimmers never to go alone, to enter the water slowly, and not to swim too far out. Several cities along the Rhine, including Düsseldorf, Cologne, Neuss and Duisburg, have banned swimming in the river due to the dangerous currents that claim lives every year.

1. Jun 20, 2026Man goes missing while swimming in Altrip pond; large search operation launched.
2. Jun 20, 202650-year-old man does not return after swimming in Rhine near Biblis; search begins.
3. Jun 20, 2026Two non-swimmers (23 and 27) are seen going under in the Rhine near Biblis; immediate searches unsuccessful.
4. Jun 20, 202623-year-old drowns in a lake at Rheinstetten; body recovered by rescue teams.
5. Jun 21, 2026No further search measures planned for Rhine missing; police say worst is assumed.