DLRG on Usedom: Water rescue urgently needs better alerting!

DLRG on Usedom: Water rescue urgently needs better alerting!

An urgent call from water rescue: The DLRG on Usedom demands that the Vorpommern-Greifswald district be alerted in the event of emergencies on the water. According to Olliver Bartelt, the technical manager of the DLRG local group on the island of Usedom Nord, there are serious concerns about the current situation, as the fire department in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MV) has primary responsibility for water rescue. In view of the alarming figures - 18 people have already died in the water by the end of July 2025, three more than in the same period last year - the urgency of the matter becomes clear. Half of these tragic cases occurred in the Baltic Sea, while the others took place in lakes and harbor basins. For comparison: In Schleswig-Holstein there has only been one death in the Baltic Sea this year.

The heartbeat was particularly shocking on Lord's Day, when three men drowned in MV - two in Wolgast and one in Crivitz. Bartelt points out that the DLRG was only 500 meters from the scene of the accident in Wolgast and could have formed a search chain within 15 minutes. This shows how important effective alerting is.

Round table to clarify responsibilities

In response to these developments, the Vorpommern-Greifswald district has announced that it will set up a discussion forum – a “round table”. Representatives from the administration, the control center, the rescue organizations and the municipalities should come together at the table. The aim is to define clear responsibilities and alert procedures as well as long-term operational readiness.

The DLRG Usedom local group has 30 to 40 active members with extensive operational experience and could use up to five boats and a jet ski in the off-season. During the peak season, up to three boats are available to respond quickly to emergencies. This is also shown by the results of the DLRG in the context of disaster control in the region. The DLRG OG Zarrentin operates in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, as does the DLRG Wismar district in northwest Mecklenburg and other local groups in Western Pomerania-Rügen and Rostock. These groups can mobilize small to medium-sized units for water rescue.

The importance of rapid response groups

The operations of these rapid deployment groups (SEG) are carried out in accordance with daily threat prevention and support the regular emergency services. But it is the regional control centers that request the operations. According to the operations department in the public hazard prevention and disaster control department, the annual training plans are developed independently and confirmed by the responsible districts. These structures are crucial to ensuring effective water rescue in the future.

The DLRG in Usedom sees itself in a good position, but it is now clear that all actors in the water rescue sector must cooperate in order to better avoid tragic incidents in the future and to be able to provide quick help.