Overview
- Three young men entered the Elbe at Blankenese and two were pulled from the water while a 22-year-old companion drifted away and has not been found.
- Fire department, police and the DLRG conducted an hours-long search using multiple boats, a sonar device, a drone and divers before calling the operation off overnight without a recovery.
- Rescuers reported they briefly saw the third swimmer before he went under and could not swim against the river's current; the two men who were rescued received care from emergency medical services.
- Officials and the environmental authority warn that strong undercurrents in the Elbe are often intensified by ship traffic, which can make the river dangerous even for experienced swimmers.
- The incident follows several fatal drownings near Falkensteiner Ufer in recent years and may prompt renewed warnings and enforcement to keep people from swimming in the river.