Three king swimming in Würzburg: Gaudi and water rescue in use!

Three king swimming in Würzburg: Gaudi and water rescue in use!

Würzburg, Deutschland - On January 6th, the traditional three-king swim of the DLRG Lower Franconia takes place in Würzburg. In temperatures between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius and a water temperature of only 3 degrees Celsius, 69 swimmers, including 51 men and 18 women, have registered. The youngest participant is only 11 years old.

The event, which will be held under special security precautions this year, had to be canceled due to floods in the previous year. Participants must be equipped with neoprene suits (at least 7 mm thick), hoods, gloves and fins to defy the cool conditions. Two swimmers were pulled out of the water during the event and received medical care, which underlines the importance of security precautions.

Event details

The goal of the three-king swimming is to demonstrate the operational readiness of the water rescue. "We want to demonstrate our operational capacity in cold," said Wolfgang Keller from DLRG Gerbrunn. The swimmers have the choice between two routes: the long distance of 5 km, which starts in Randersacker, and the short distance of 2.5 km, which begins on the Sander-Weiher. Both routes end at the Löwenbrücke. The start of the long route is for 1:30 p.m., while the short route begins at 2:00 p.m.

To ensure security during the event, a total of 13 accompanying boats and almost 80 rescue workers from the DLRG, ASB and the Johanniter are available. Training for the emergency is another important aspect of the event, as it practices the command chains and the cooperation of the emergency services. Swimming is not allowed for water levels over 2.70 meters, which has only led to about 3-4 cancellations in the past 40 years.

The DLRG expects a total of around 80 participants who receive warm drinks and documents at the finish line. Participation takes place at your own risk, which is why only experienced swimmers are approved. The event is regarded both as a fun and as an important training for the DLRG teams, such as Br.de In addition, Radio Gong stated that the event can finally take place after the cancellation in the previous year.

-transmitted by West-Ost-Medien