Second drowning in Waal river this week; Another person drowned in Vianen
A swimmer drowned in the Waal River in Zaltbommel on Tuesday, the second drowning in the river in less than a week. Another person was found dead in a recreational lake in Vianen. According to the local mayor, the person also drowned.
In Zaltbommel, bystanders reported noticing a man disappearing under the water at around 3:15 p.m. Fire brigade divers found him in the water around 4:00 p.m. They tried to resuscitate him, but it was to no avail, a spokesperson for the local security office, Veiligheidsregio Gelderland-Zuid, told Omroep Gelderland.
It was the second drowning in this river in less than a week. Over the weekend, a 21-year-old man from Poland drowned in the Waal River near Ochten.
At about 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, the body of a man was found in a recreational lake in Vianen, the police reported. Mayor Sjors Fröhlich of Vijfheerenlanden, which covers Vianen, said on social media that the man had drowned. “When the victim was seen in the water, the alarm was immediately raised. Many emergency services and the air ambulance were called. Unfortunately, help came too late.”
The identity of the man is unknown. The police are investigating what happened.
The Veiligheidsregio Gelderland-Zuid spokesperson stressed the dangers of swimming in rivers and lakes. Several people also drowned in Dutch rivers and recreational lakes last month. “Swimming in a river like the Waal is more difficult than you think. Many people underestimate the dangers. The current is very strong,” the spokesperson told Omroep Gelderland.
