Rescue operation on the Zugspitze More than a dozen people collapse into icy lake
Numerous Bavarian rescue workers rush to the partly frozen Eibsee lake at the foot of the Zugspitze in spring-like weather. According to the police, several people have fallen into the water.
06.03.2025, 18:23
06.03.2025, 18:37
dpa
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- Several people have fallen into the water on the Eibsee at the foot of the Zugspitze in mild temperatures.
- Rescue workers rescued three people from the lake, one of whom was seriously injured, a police spokeswoman said.
- According to the Bavarian Red Cross, three rescue helicopters, seven ambulances and two patient transporters, water and mountain rescuers, among others, were deployed.
More than a dozen people fell into the water on the partly frozen Eibsee lake at the foot of the Zugspitze. Rescue workers rescued three people from the lake, one of whom was seriously injured, said a police spokeswoman. According to the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), the seriously injured person was resuscitated and taken to hospital.
The other people involved were able to save themselves, the police spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman was initially unable to say exactly how many people broke through the ice. A spokesperson for the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), on the other hand, reported that 16 people had fallen into the lake.
BRK reports a total of 14 injured
The BRK reported a total of 14 injured people. Eleven of them were considered to be slightly injured, two had suffered moderate injuries. A total of four people were taken to hospital. The other rescued people were cared for in the hotel on the lakeshore.
The operation on site was "largely completed", said a BRK spokesperson later in the afternoon. The police spokeswoman said earlier: "We assume that everyone has been rescued. But we still have to verify this."
According to the Bavarian Red Cross, three rescue helicopters, seven ambulances and two patient transporters, as well as water and mountain rescuers were deployed. Experts in psychosocial emergency care were also on site to support the rescuers, witnesses and victims.
Webcam shows people on an icy surface in mild temperatures
Footage from a weather webcam at a nearby hotel showed in the early afternoon that several people were walking on the frozen surface despite temperatures well above freezing and bright sunshine. Later, rescue workers could also be seen there.
The picturesque Eibsee lake at the foot of the Zugspitze in Grainau, Upper Bavaria, is very popular with day trippers and tourists. It is the carnival vacations in Bavaria. According to media reports, there have been repeated discussions in recent years about people entering the ice of the frozen lake despite appropriate warnings. The lake itself is privately owned.
Water rescue service warns: "There is a danger to life"
During the current winter season, the Bavarian Water Rescue Service has also warned against entering frozen lakes if they have not been officially cleared. "There is a danger to life if you go onto these icy surfaces," warned state chairman Thomas Huber. "If you fall in, you will suffer a cold shock within a few minutes, which can lead to drowning."