Bridge swimming in Brandenburg: DLRG fights for young people and helpers!

Bridge swimming in Brandenburg: DLRG fights for young people and helpers!

The bridge swimming in Brandenburg an der Havel is canceled this year - a bitter blow for everyone who was looking forward to the event. The event had to be canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the corona pandemic. The reason for the current cancellation is the lack of staff at the DLRG city association. Despite over 30 years of experience in organizing bridge swimming, the DLRG sees it as its duty not to allow the event to take place this year for safety reasons maz-online.de reported.

The event covers a 1000 meter route between the Millennium Bridge and the Luckenberger Bridge. Benedikt Michaelis, chairman of the DLRG, expresses the hope that bridge swimming can be organized again next year, provided there are enough helpers. After the cancellation of this year's event, there was already positive feedback from various supporters, including the Johanniter.

Need for volunteers

The DLRG has around 180 members, around 60% of whom are children and young people. However, the active core, which is responsible for operations and swimming training, remains small. These dedicated helpers face a variety of tasks, as the DLRG is also responsible for securing other events, such as the Dragon Boat World Championships or the Tree Blossom Festival. Last year alone, Michaelis logged an impressive 642 hours of operations and 480 hours of board work.

The aid organization attaches great importance to quality and safety, as bridge swimming requires extensive preparation. The DLRG assumes this responsibility entirely on a voluntary basis. In order to meet the high standards, the DLRG is looking for new members. We are looking for lifeguards, paramedics, lifeboat drivers as well as tackle helpers and other volunteers. Those interested can contact: sv-brandenburg.dlrg.de or call 0171 317 9602 to offer your support, such as meetingpoint-brandenburg.de reported.

A Germany-wide challenge

In 2024, the DLRG saved an impressive 1,446 lives nationwide. Over 54,800 volunteers were active, 6,000 more than the year before. The lifeguards spent almost 2.6 million hours on their duty. But despite this successful record, the warning of dangers in the water is unmistakable. Older people are particularly affected, as the DLRG states. Almost 60% of those who drowned were over 55 years old, and every year many people suffer paraplegia from improper jumping into the water.

These challenges highlight the need for more water areas for swimming training and a wider range of swimming courses. The DLRG is therefore calling for increased support for the task of preventing and protecting people from drowning. The patron of the DLRG is Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, which emphasizes the high status of the organization dgou.de shows.

It remains to be hoped that more people can be won over to the valuable work at the DLRG. This is the only way the bridge swimming can continue its tradition next year and ensure the safety of the participants.