Pandemic consequences: DLRG warns: there are no lifeguards, swimming lessons are canceled in many places

DLRG President Ute Vogt calls for joint efforts by the federal, state and local governments to counteract the lack of rescue workers and lifeguards and to promote the training of swimming beginners.

"That's why my urgent wish is a round table on swimming," said the new head of the German Life Saving Society (DLRG) of the German Press Agency.

The 57-year-old from Heidelberg, who has been the first woman to head the organization since October 2021, is concerned about safety on the beaches of the North and Baltic Seas, in baths and other bodies of water due to the lack of rescue workers in some cases.

Two years of corona pandemic and many pool closures in recent years have aggravated the situation again, emphasized Vogt: “We notice that we were not able to train for two years because of the pandemic.

Of course, we now lack the lifeguards that we would have otherwise trained.” This year, too, there have already been a number of fatal swimming accidents.

The longtime SPD member of the Bundestag does not want to spread panic.

The DLRG can usually fill its almost 90 stations and rescue stations on the North Sea and Baltic Sea well in midsummer.

“We still have more applicants than places.

Especially on the coasts things are going well in the high season.”

Nevertheless: Around 80 pool closures on average per year pose ever greater challenges for the DLRG, swimming clubs, schools, teachers and swimming schools.

The training of children and young people is suffering, as is the recruitment of rescue workers, because there is a lack of swimming times, areas and pools.

Vogt expects "that the number of non-swimmers will rise dramatically again".

You have to bundle all your strengths: “We absolutely need a comprehensive pool requirements plan.

Then the federal, state and local governments have to sit down at one table and fill these gaps.”

Vogt can hardly say what has recently suffered the most.

The novice swimmers?

Lifeguard training?

The training of lifeguard instructors?

"All at the same time," she fears.

Swimming courses are probably the most affected.

“There is a huge backlog in training.

We assume that we have two school years who cannot swim.

The children are now in the 3rd grade and often haven't seen the inside of the swimming pool.

There can no longer be a school that doesn’t have a bathroom within easy reach.”

The balance of the previous year shows how important the topic is: DLRG forces saved the lives of 1,655 people.

The volunteer helpers were particularly challenged during the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in July.

In total, they were used in more than 76,000 cases in 2021.

Around 45,000 rescuers ensured safety on and in the water at 1,200 open water bodies and almost 1,300 swimming pools.