What should have been a beautiful swim ended Tuesday evening almost fatally for a family near Cologne on the Rhine. A father was swimming with his four children when a tanker suddenly passed by and probably developed such extreme suction power that the whole family was in trouble. Rescue and fire services enabled all five people to be rescued and cared for.
The father was playing with his four children, aged two, six, eight and nine, in the Rhine near Wesseling, south of Cologne, when a ship wanted to anchor in the water. The pull this caused immediately tore the father and his youngest child underwater. The other three children were also in distress. The father managed to find and rescue his two-year-old child underwater – although he himself was unconscious in the meantime!
The arriving troops were able to quickly rescue all five family members. All were taken to a clinic after first aid measures, luckily no one had to be resuscitated.
Rescue with quick action
Wesseling’s fire chief André Bach happened to be nearby and was therefore able to respond quickly. In total, more than 20 firefighters helped to save the family, Bach reported Wednesday. “The mission was very stressful for everyone, even though it ended well,” he explained. Bach’s thanks also go to the aid workers who were on the beach and intervened immediately. “It was very close and could have ended badly. Thank God everyone is better.”
Due to numerous calamities in water bodies in recent weeks, the fire brigade has already warned against swimming in the Rhine. Due to the current and shipping traffic, the river can be life-threatening, even at low tide.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
