Polish rescue teams respond to multiple drownings and near‑drownings

On 11 July, rescuers from the Mazurskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe saved five people after a boat capsized on Lake Stręgiel, two of whom suffered severe hypothermia. The same day, nine fire‑brigade units, a specialized drone team and underwater divers were deployed to the Warta River near Świerkocin to locate a 79‑year‑old fisherman who had fallen in; the search continued into the night.

Later in the week, police and the Water Rescue Service (WOPR) rescued a drunken kayaker from Lake Błędno in Greater Poland, while two other intoxicated participants faced legal penalties. In the Nakle district, firefighters pulled a 32‑year‑old man from Lake Samsieczyn and performed resuscitation, but a second victim, a 50‑year‑old woman, could not be saved.

The tragedy escalated in Wrocław when an 18‑year‑old drowned while attempting to cross a pond on Królewiecka Street. Divers and sonar equipment were used, but the teenager was pronounced dead. Across all incidents, authorities urged the public to wear life jackets and use designated swimming areas.