A nine-year-old boy drowned after falling from an inflatable boat into the Twistesee lake in Bad Arolsen, in the German state of Hesse. The incident occurred on a Thursday afternoon in the area of the Strandbad (lido) at the lake.
According to the police, the boy sank immediately after falling from the inflatable boat. His lifeless body was recovered from the water approximately 40 minutes after the fall, and resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
The time between the boy falling into the water and the recovery of his body.
The reason why the boy fell from the inflatable boat was initially unclear, according to the police. Investigators stated there was no indication of third-party involvement in the incident.
The fire department, emergency medical services, the German Life Saving Association (DLRG), and the police were involved in the search and rescue operation. The boy was from Wuppertal, Germany.
A police spokesperson confirmed that supervisory persons were at the lake but were not on the inflatable boat with the boy. Reports on whether the boy was alone on the boat differ: some sources state the police made no statement on this, while others report the spokesperson said he was not alone.
The criminal police are investigating who accompanied the boy on the inflatable boat. They also need to clarify whether the boy could swim and whether he was wearing a flotation aid.
