Sep 15, 2024

Man Who Went Swimming in Vltava River Rescued Near Charles Bridge

On Sunday morning, Prague firefighters and police officers saved a man from drowning in the Vltava River, pulling him to safety after being swept away by the strong current.

The incident occurred near Palackรฝ Bridge, with rescue teams eventually retrieving him from the water between Charles Bridge and Mรกnes Bridge.

The rescue took place around 7 a.m., at a time when the riverโ€™s flow had reached 827 cubic metres per second, a rate that signals the first level of flood activity.

โ€œSeveral dozen police officers and firefighters were deployed at 7 a.m. to assist a man who had entered the Vltava River in Smรญchov and was carried downstream by the current. He became entangled in the reeds near Charles Bridge, where firefighters pulled him out and transported to Kampa,โ€ reported the Prague police.

Interior Minister Vรญt Rakuลกan took to social media platform X to express frustration at the unnecessary risks some individuals take, putting extra pressure on emergency services.

He wrote, โ€œI urge everyone once again: our integrated rescue services are already stretched thin. Those who recklessly endanger themselves divert critical resources from where they are truly needed.โ€

READ ALSO:   Lidl Launches Its First Outlet Store in the Czech Republic

Firefighters have issued repeated warnings about the dangers of navigating or swimming in swollen rivers and waterways.

The weekend saw several other incidents across the country. In Ostrava, police stopped three men attempting to paddleboard down the swollen Odra River, while in the Opava region, several individuals were found windsurfing on the dangerously high waters of Hluฤรญn Lake.

Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more

Support Prague Morning!

We are proud to provide our readers from around the world with independent, and unbiased news for free.

Our dedicated team supports the local community, foreign residents and visitors of all nationalities through our website, social media and newsletter.

We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to, we ask you to support Prague Morning by making a contribution โ€“ no matter how small ๐Ÿ™‚ .

  • NEWSLETTER

    mail Subscribe for our daily news

    Powered by EmailOctopus