German tourist drowns in Waal near Dodewaard

Emergency services found the body of a 44-year-old man from Germany in the Waal near Dodewaard on Friday evening. The man, who was visiting the Netherlands, was swimming and was sucked in by the current, a police spokesperson said.

The police, together with the fire brigade and Rijkswaterstaat, launched a major search for the drowning person on Friday. A police helicopter was also used. The German was eventually found a few hundred meters further from the Waalbandijk, where he entered the water.

According to the spokesperson, the police and Rijkswaterstaat always warn against swimming in the Waal. "It's a treacherous river, with a strong current."

A swimmer also went missing in a lake at Overveen on Friday. On Saturday morning, a body was found in the water on the Maaskade in Venlo.