Overview

• An alarm was raised at 18:25 on July 24 when the 12-year-old went missing while swimming in a quarry lake near Großkünkel.
• A multi-agency response deployed 82 personnel, including Feuerwehr Hückelhoven divers, DLRG teams, a police helicopter and drone support.
• After around 60 minutes underwater, rescuers found the boy and performed on-site resuscitation before he was flown to Aachen University Clinic.
• The boy was accompanied by a teenager and two adults from the Baal refugee shelter who spoke French with emergency teams.
• Authorities have launched a formal investigation and arranged psychosocial support for witnesses and rescue staff.