Three men drown in Rhine at Biblis; authorities renew warnings on river and gravel pit swimming
After three men died in two separate incidents at Biblis last weekend, German authorities are again urging the public to avoid swimming in rivers and active gravel pits, citing currents, ship traffic and bacteria.
The accidents
On the last weekend of June, two swimming accidents at Biblis in southern Hesse claimed the lives of three men. The victims entered the Rhine at a boat ramp where the municipality had posted warning signs, according to Marc Hannig, head of the shipping department at the responsible water and shipping authority. No formal bathing ban was in force at the two entry points, he said.
River dangers
A spokesperson for the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) stressed that the agency "generally advises against bathing in rivers." In a large watercourse like the Rhine, swimmers can be swept away by currents much faster than people realize. Ship traffic adds another hazard. The water also carries fecal bacteria from municipal and industrial treatment plants; while the effluent is cleaner than in the past, it is not germ-free. During summer low-water periods, the share of treated wastewater is considerably higher, and heavy rain can overwhelm sewage systems, pushing untreated surface and household water directly into rivers.
Gravel pit risks
At the end of May, the Gießen regional council (Regierungspräsidium Gießen) issued an urgent warning against swimming in rivers, reservoirs and gravel pits. Active gravel pits where sand and gravel are still being extracted or material is being backfilled are "strictly prohibited" and life-threatening, the authority said. Even disused pits can contain cold-water currents that trigger dangerous circulatory problems or cramps.
Enforcement and legal reality
Riedstadt mayor Marcus Kretschmann recalled that a few years ago hundreds of people on some summer days sought refreshment at an active gravel pit in his municipality. Since then, the formerly inviting sandy beaches have disappeared, steep banks have replaced them, and a private security service ensures no one swims there illegally. Kretschmann favours education over formal bans.
You cannot fence off the Rhine.
Under German water law, bathing in the Rhine is generally permitted through the principle of common use enshrined in state legislation, unless a water authority expressly prohibits it on water-quality grounds. The shipping authority can impose restrictions only where swimming endangers vessel traffic. At Biblis, no such prohibition was in place.
Even bathing bans do not deter some people.
HLNUG points to designated bathing lakes as a safer alternative, noting that their water quality is regularly tested and offers "the best conditions for carefree and safe bathing fun."
