Germany was one of the countries affected by the exhausting June heatwave in Western Europe, where temperature records were set in several parts of the country, with thermometers rising to 41.7 degrees Celsius.
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The country “has not recorded so many drownings since the June 2003 heatwave, when 107 people died,” the National Lifeguard Federation (DLRG) said in a statement on Sunday.
Last month’s heatwave in Germany caused forest fires, chaos in rail transport, and led to increased mortality.
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The federation reported that the drowned victims were mostly young men.
40 of them were under 30 years old – the largest group among those whose age is known.
“Men are more likely to take reckless risks and underestimate dangers. They also more often enter the water intoxicated by alcohol or other substances,” said DLRG president Ute Vogt.
Most drownings occurred in lakes and rivers.
