Helicopter-assisted water rescue operations multiplied thrice - firefighters airlifted to rescue locations
On August 31, 2025, the Hamburg Fire Department was called to handle two separate emergency situations involving water rescues.
The first incident occurred at around 5 pm, when a report came in about a person floating in the Elbe. Search efforts involving numerous boats, a police helicopter, and a search drone were initiated, but extensive searches along the shore and in the water were unsuccessful. The search was discontinued around 8 pm without result.
The second incident took place at the Alster in Hamburg-Uhlenhorst, Schöne Aussicht, where a report was received at 18:42 regarding a suspect who could no longer be found under a bridge. The rescue control center immediately activated the "MultiBel alarm," allowing colleagues to be called in from their free time to their duty stations.
The German Red Cross crisis intervention team was on site to support those affected, and the first responders from the fire station immediately began searching in the water. Additional divers from the DLRG were deployed, and a rescue helicopter, boats from the volunteer fire department, and special sonar equipment from the DLRG were also involved in the search.
Twelve minutes after the first deployment for the dive group of the Hamburg Fire Department, another emergency call was received about a person disappearing under the surface of the lake behind the Horn. The divers with the helicopter arrived and found the person lifeless under water and pulled them to land. However, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The search efforts in the lake behind the Horn were discontinued around 9 pm.
Both the search along the shore and the search on the lake remained unsuccessful in the lake behind the Horn. In an effort to continue the search, the control center decided to relocate non-deployed divers by helicopter from the Strandweg to the Alster. Additional divers from the DLRG were deployed at the scene on the Alster to aid in the search.
Around 40 emergency services personnel were involved for one hour, and around 50 personnel were involved in the search operations for approximately 2.5 hours. The doctor could only determine death in both cases.
These tragic incidents underscore the importance of water safety and the dedication of the emergency services personnel in Hamburg who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of the city's residents.
