Two young tourists lost lives – only a few days apart – in a mountain lake located in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
On Thursday, August 27th, a teenager from the UK who was on a holiday in the region with his family, was swimming in the Lake Cauma and went under.
Several people noticed his distress and rushed to help, using paddle boards, and managing to bring him back to shore.
Medical professionals who just happened to be present immediately began resuscitation efforts. The 17-year-old was transported to the Cantonal Hospital in Chur, where he died that same evening.
The cantonal police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.
Another tourist, same lake
On Sunday, August 30th, a 27-year-old man from Germany swam from the shore towards the island on the same lake to help a colleague who was struggling in the water.
During this rescue attempt, he himself started to drowning but other swimmers managed to pull him from the water.
However, despite immediate resuscitation efforts, he passed away.
In a cruel twist of irony, the man he was trying to save in the first place, survived and participated in the rescue.
Dozens of drownings each year
These two men were just some casualties of the dozens of drowning accidents registered in Switzerland each year.
On average , 45 people die from drowning in Swiss lakes and rivers every year, according to the Swiss Lifesaving Society (SLRG), whose mission is to prevent swimming accidents.
READ MORE: How to stay safe when swimming in Switzerland’s lakes and rivers
