Overview

• Two women, aged 18 and 20, were discovered drifting on a detached Weiße Flotte pontoon near the Dresdner Elbebrücke early on May 3, 2025.
• One woman jumped into the Elbe River and swam to shore, while the other was rescued from the pontoon by firefighters and brought to safety.
• Both women were treated for hypothermia; one has been discharged from the hospital, while the other remains under medical care.
• The fire brigade towed the detached pontoon back to shore, and local authorities are investigating how it became unsecured and why the women boarded it.
• Police reported that the women appeared to have voluntarily boarded the pontoon but were in a psychologically conspicuous condition when carried downstream.