Vienna water police rescue hypothermic man from the Danube!

Vienna water police rescue hypothermic man from the Danube!

On the night of Monday, June 9, 2025, there was an operation by the water police in Vienna, triggered by a concerned passer-by who discovered a motionless person in the Danube stream. The alerted water police immediately responded with several officers and a police boat. The man, who was floating on his back in the water, was rescued on site and brought on board.

As the investigation revealed, the man had previously been sitting on the bank and accidentally fell into the water. Due to the current, he was unable to save himself. When rescued, the man was already significantly hypothermic and required immediate first aid before he was transported to hospital. The quick response of the water police was crucial to the man's survival.

The role of the water police

The water police, also known as the water police, is an organizational unit of the state police in Germany that is entrusted with special tasks in the area of ​​shipping and water protection. It not only ensures compliance with shipping regulations, but also focuses on averting dangers in the shipping sector and environmental protection. This unit also deals with border police measures, depending on the federal state, and is therefore an essential part of the security structure in coastal and inland waters.

• Wasserschutzpolizei hat in Deutschland folgende Hauptaufgaben:
• Einhaltung von See- und Binnenschifffahrtsvorschriften
• Gefahrenabwehr im Bereich Schifffahrt
• Umweltschutz
• Überwachung internationaler maritimer Umweltübereinkommen

The water police are particularly responsible for navigable waterways, adjacent banks, locks and port facilities. Coastal countries have extensive rights and obligations up to the 12 nautical mile limit. In Germany, almost all state police departments have a water police force, with the exception of Thuringia. A special coordination center, the WSP control center in Cuxhaven, was set up in 2002 to efficiently control larger situations in the coastal sea.

International comparison

In other countries, for example in Austria, there are also water police such as the maritime and electricity services, while in Switzerland similar units are active in many cantons. In Germany, the water police can look back on a long history, dating back to the founding of the first chartered unit, the Niederhafen Patrol, in 1787. Since then, the water police have developed further and are, for example, also responsible for border police clearance in the port of Hamburg.

The deployment of the water police in Vienna shows the importance of this specialized police facility, not only to ensure order and safety on waterways, but also as a quick reaction force in emergency situations. The happy outcome of the incident is an example of the valuable commitment of this organizational unit.

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Wikipedia – Water Police
Wikipedia – Water Police (further information)