“Risks to Life and Limb“ – EWA Calls for Extensive Opening of Bathing Complexes for Safe Swimming

Only a few weeks ago, the news that three young girls aged between 13 and 17 were probably swept away by the current while bathing in the Rhine and subsequently drowned caused a shock in the public again. In order to avoid such tragic accidents, the European Waterpark Association (EWA) once again appeals to politicians to open up leisure pools and spas as well as open-air and indoor pools comprehensively “to enable people to bath and swim in a safe environment.“ EWA president Markus Achleitner explains: “Many natural bathing spots are neither supervised nor do they have the necessary infrastructure to deal with the rush of visitors.“

Dr. Klaus Batz, general manager of the EWA, argues: “Many of these bathing sites harbor dangers that visitors cannot recognize, even bathing bans are often ignored.“ Another factor is that the environment at natural bathing sites is immensely polluted by rubbish and destroyed vegetation. The EWA sees one reason for this circumstance in the strict regulations that bathing facilities currently have to follow: “[...] Limited number of visitors and the obligation to register or to purchase tickets in advance lead to potential guests visiting the bathing sites in nature, which results in corresponding burdens on nature and risks to life and limb. [...]“

For a detailed insight into the situation of the waterpark industry, see our article on “The Bathing Industry in the Pandemic“, in our current EAP issue 4/2021. (eap)