Officially, an investigation against unknown persons is underway. To find out exactly what happened.
The two boys spent their holidays with their parents in Sittard in the Netherlands and went with the whole family to a lake in Simmerath near Aachen in the border triangle with Belgium.
They visited the beautifully situated natural swimming pool in Rurberg on the Eiserbachsee. But late Thursday afternoon, the parents reported the two children missing. After a short search, rescuers got the boys out of the water. They were flown to the hospital in rescue helicopters, but could not be saved.
The public prosecutor’s office in Aachen is currently investigating whether there is a suspicion of a criminal offense. This could be a form of negligence, according to a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office. But she emphasized: “We are not targeting anyone in particular, we are just doing our job.”
The mayor of Simmerath, Bernd Goffart (CDU), is shocked.
“The lake is of course much bigger than an outdoor pool and the water is not clear. In addition, the normally shallow riverbank area is currently shorter due to the drought and it now goes deeper faster. That is why there are signs on the shore of the lake that read: “Beware! Only for swimmers!”
The British children could not swim.
Due to the drama, the discussion about banning swimming in the Eiserbachsee flares up again. According to Mayor Goffart, that is not the solution. Because then, he suspects, many tourists would seek refuge in the nearby Rursee. “And it’s much more dangerous,” he says.