German lifeguards warn parents: smartphone distraction at pools puts children at risk of drowning
Swimming pools in North Rhine-Westphalia are urging parents to put down their phones after staff report finding unsupervised children, sometimes in the water, while parents scroll on social media.
The danger of distraction
Children can drown silently within seconds, yet many parents at public pools remain absorbed by their smartphones. Lifeguards across North Rhine-Westphalia are sounding the alarm, stressing that parental supervision is not optional. Ralf Großmann, spokesperson for the Federal Association of German Swimming Masters (BDS), said the swimming master can intervene immediately if something happens, but cannot personally supervise every child.
The swimming master will intervene immediately if something happens, but he cannot take personal supervision of every single child. That is neither legally nor practically possible.
What lifeguards are seeing
At Cologne's largest outdoor pool, the Stadionbad, staff regularly pick up 10 to 15 children without a visible supervising adult on a summer weekend, according to Judith Jussenhofen, spokesperson for municipal operator KölnBäder. Often the children are found in the water while parents are occupied elsewhere on the lawn. In the vast majority of cases, the smartphone plays a role, she said.
A public swimming pool is not a childcare facility where children can be dropped off while parents relax.
In some instances, after repeated announcements and long waits with no reaction, staff have felt compelled to call the police or youth welfare office. The city of Duisburg said that while it cannot confirm mobile phone use has led to a significant increase in incidents, staff will intervene if parents neglect their duty and a hazard arises. In serious cases, a ban from the pool is issued.
Campaigns and consequences
Pools are deploying posters, banners, flyers, loudspeaker announcements, and even a mascot that walks through outdoor pools in Cologne to speak directly to families. In Essen, banners warn that a child can drown silently in 20 seconds, with messages like: "Dad, you were my hero. Until your phone became more important than me." Frankfurt runs a "KleinNieAllein" (LittleNeverAlone) campaign, and Hamburg's Bäderland warns: "A glance at your phone can cost your child's life."
Expert advice
Großmann noted that while some parents may feel attacked at first, most react with understanding. The German Life Saving Association (DLRG) points out that water exerts an enormous pull on almost all children, who are not yet able to grasp the full consequences of their actions. They act more riskily, more cluelessly, and more carelessly. Drowning is possible even in very shallow water for small children.
