American father holds "Iceman" Wim Hof accountable for daughter's drowning

Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete Wim Hof, known as the “Iceman,” is facing a liability lawsuit in the United States for the death of a 17-year-old girl in August last year. According to her father, Hof’s training method directly led to his daughter’s drowning. He demands almost 60 million euros in compensation from Hof and his company Innerfire BV, NOS reports.

Raphael Metzger came home on August 10 last year to find his daughter, Madelyn Rose, dead in the pool behind his home in Long Beach, California. An autopsy showed that she had no health problems and had not used drugs.

According to Metzger, his daughter came into contact with Hof’s training method - advertised to make people stronger and healthier - through her mother. The method consists of breathing exercises that could make you lose consciousness briefly. Metzger believes his daughter did these exercises in or near the pool, lost consciousness, and drowned. Her computer showed that she had searched for Hof’s method.

Hof’s son Enahm Hof told NOS they were very sorry about what happened to the girl but that the company and his father were not liable for her death. The company always warns to do the exercises in a safe place, Enahm said. “On our website, in our videos, everywhere, it says that you should not do our breathing exercises in the water and certainly should not go underwater. Not even on a bicycle or in the car, but in a safe place, sitting or lying on the ground.”

According to Enahm, the girl’s father also held her mother, his ex, liable. “But he also wants money. That’s why he comes to us.” The case has no chance in court, he said, partly on the formal ground that the company has not sold any products to residents of California.