Tragic accident at Lake Tegel: Search for second person canceled

Tragic accident at Lake Tegel: Search for second person canceled

A tragic incident occurred at Lake Tegel in Berlin on August 13, 2025. The Berlin fire brigade announced that the search for a missing person had been called off because there was “no chance of survival” anymore rbb24 reported. Two people fell into the water from a boat east of Scharfenberg Island, while a third person remained on board.

Before the fire brigade arrived, one of the two people who fell into the water was rescued and taken to hospital. The third person who did not fall into the water also received medical attention. The rescue workers searched for the missing person until the evening hours, with extensive search operations taking place. A total of up to 50 fire brigade personnel as well as three diving teams and several boats with location sonar were deployed, searching an area of ​​several thousand square meters n-tv supplemented.

Searches without success

Despite the intensive search, the rescue of the missing person was unfortunately unsuccessful. The emergency services had been on alert since the afternoon and quickly initiated extensive measures to rescue the person from the water. Unfortunately, as the search progressed, it became clear that the chances of rescue were minimized.

The incident highlights the dangers of water sports. According to DLRG data, there were 411 fatal accidents in waterways in Germany in 2023, which represents an increase of 31 deaths compared to the previous year. This represents the third consecutive increase in drownings, and the first time since 2019 that there have been more than 400 victims, according to the website DLRG is to be read. The President of the DLRG, Ute Vogt, expressed the hope that people would become more aware, especially regarding the dangers for families with small children.

The sad events at Lake Tegel are another sad reminder of the need to promote vigilance and safety during recreational water activities.