Bonn city warning Swimming in the Rhine can be fatal
Bonn · Summer is here and the city is again emphasising the dangers of swimming in the Rhine. Strong currents and undertow from passing shipping can cost lives.
There is a great temptation during summer weather to take a dip in the cool Rhine waters. To do so would be extremely reckless and since 2016 the city has been using a total of 13 large signs to warn of the dangers lurking around the riverbanks on both sides of the city.
It is often not appreciated that the division between standing and flowing water does not happen gradually but can happen unexpectedly. When the riverbed falls away suddenly into a channel, people can quickly lose their footing. In the Bonn city area, the Rhine flows at a speed of around six kilometres per hour and this can rise significantly when water levels are high.
Even proficient swimmers cannot hold out against this strong current for long. The undertow effect of passing shipping causes swimming accidents time and again and children can have accidents when they are dragged out of the sheltered area between the breakwaters into the current.
(Original text: mhi. Translated by Kate Carey)
