Overview

• A suspected missing person at the flooded former limestone quarry near Mettmann triggered a major rescue operation on May 1, 2025.
• The search involved firefighters from Mettmann, Erkrath, and Monheim, as well as divers, DLRG rescue boats, and drones surveying the area from above.
• After three hours of exhaustive efforts, no individual was located, and it remains unclear if anyone was actually in danger or fled the scene.
• Police are investigating how long the clothing and air mattress, which prompted the search, had been at the site.
• Authorities reiterated that the six-hectare quarry lake, with depths up to 120 meters, is strictly off-limits due to life-threatening conditions, yet continues to attract illegal visitors.