Drownings In Lake Cauma Occurred After Normal Swimming Hours

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) There have been two fatal accidents while swimming within three days at Lake Cauma in Flims in canton Graubünden. Mayor Christoph Schmidt says he is shocked, but does not want to hear any talk of a ban on swimming outside opening hours. This content was published on September 2, 2026 - 08:34 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Italiano it GR: annegamenti nel lago di Cauma avvenuti senza sorveglianza Original Read more: GR: annegamenti nel lago di Cauma avvenuti senza sorvegl

The latest incident took place on Sunday evening. At around 7:00 pm, a 27-year-old German man was trying to swim to a small island to rescue a friend when he himself got into difficulty. Despite rescue efforts, the young man died at the scene.

Just three days earlier, a 17-year-old tourist from the United Kingdom also had problems swimming and died that same evening in hospital.

The public bathing area at Lake Cauma is open every day during the summer season from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, according to the Flims-Laax tourist board's website.

“We are deeply shocked by the two tragic accidents that occurred in such quick succession at this much-loved and popular swimming lake. Both incidents occurred in the evening, after normal opening hours, when there is no guaranteed supervision in the water,” Schmidt told Keystone-ATS news agency.

+ A second young man drowns in same Swiss lake

The last tragic incident took place over ten years ago, in 2016.“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims, and we wish to express our deepest condolences to them for these tragic and painful events,” the mayor added.

Dangers often underestimated

Schmidt does not believe that Lake Cauma is currently particularly dangerous for swimmers. Indeed, it does not present any particular risks in terms of temperature or currents. However, it can generally be observed“that inexperienced swimmers repeatedly underestimate the dangers of open waters such as lakes”. In this regard, the mayor cites distances and temperature.

For Schmidt,“as with many other open bodies of water”, a ban on swimming outside opening hours is not currently under discussion, even following the fatal accidents. For some time now, however, information on the safety plan and bathing rules has been displayed within the bathing area. The safety and rescue plan for the lake and its implementation are refined each year in collaboration with the operator,“where appropriate, with the involvement of the relevant authorities”, the mayor added.

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Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.

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