Wax season 2021: DLRG and water rescue service are ready

2020 was a special year for Wasserwacht and DLRG due to Corona and many day trippers.

They assume that it will not be any different in 2021.

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen

- You can look forward to this weekend: According to the Bergfex weather app, the thermometer shows 17 degrees on Saturday and 25 degrees on Sunday.

You don't need to be a prophet to know that many day trippers will flock to Lake Starnberg again.

In this respect, it is a good thing that the Wolfratshausen water rescue service is starting its season with ten men, spread across the stations at Schwaiblbach in St. Heinrich and the Seeburg in Allmannshausen.

By the end of September, the water rescuers will be on site on weekends and on public holidays, and a mobile task force will take over during the week and will be notified in case of emergencies.

What kind of season will it be in 2021?

"It is clear to us that, like last year, people will be crowding the rivers and lakes," says boss Ingo Roeske.

But there is one advantage: the rescuers have internalized everyday life in Corona.

Much was still new territory in 2020.

The corona rules still apply

The active members of the water rescue service, actually priority 1 for the vaccinations, have given priority to the older ones. “That was a matter of course for us.” However, this means that not everyone has their second vaccination and thus full protection at the beginning of the waking season. “Some of them are still on hold.” Either way: The rules that applied last year will also apply this year. In 2020, there was not a single infection during the missions.

The German Lifesaving Society (DLRG) Geretsried is also ready.

“We will start operations either on this weekend or on one of the following weekends,” explains boss Maiko Alpers.

The Geretsrieder are stationed at the Lido in Seeshaupt.

During normal times, six to eight helpers keep watch there on weekends and on public holidays.

Now there will only be four, because of the distances that still have to be observed.

"We are still in the middle of the pandemic."

Training was hardly possible recently

Like many rescuers, the Geretsrieder are faced with the problem that no swimming pools were open.

“The possibilities for training were extremely limited,” complains Alpers.

Of course, everyone has kept themselves fit with running and gymnastics, but swimming is a bit different.

But nobody has to worry about that: “We'll manage that.” By the way, Alpers also expects an above-average rush - even worse than 2020. “People are now going into their second year without a vacation and of course want to be in the sun and the water ", he says.

And word has just got around how beautiful it is at the Lido.

Also read: DLRG plug-in cross for Maiko Alpers

The Ammerland water rescue service starts the wax season on May 15th with a major cleaning and a Ramadama at the Münsingen municipal swimming pool.

47 athletes will contest the season.

"We are on duty every weekend and on public holidays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until mid-September at the guard station on the Biersteg and also at the community pool," explains Michael Döhla.

Outside of core hours, the water watch can be alerted at any time.

The parking lot in St. Heinrich will be full again

How many missions will the Ammerlander expect?

“The density of use will be extremely dependent on the weather,” predicts Döhla.

If you orient yourself towards the past year, the pressure on the local recreation areas will become even greater.

In Ammerland they expect that there will be more swimming accidents due to the lack of swimming practice among the population.

Also read: Lifesavers in the Corona Terminal

The traditional place of the DLRG Schäftlarn-Wolfratshausen is the Karniffelbach in St. Heinrich. The instruction is due for this Saturday - then we can start. On weekends and public holidays, a maximum of five rescuers will be on site from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. due to the currently necessary intervals, inside there is a mask requirement up to an incidence of 35. Mathias Feichtbauer from the DLRG remembers: “In 2020 the parking lot was almost always full.” It is quite possible that this will also be the case this year and that people will go on vacation at home. The rescuers remain calm. Feichtbauer: "We are ready."

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