Lawsuit alleges negligent bodily harm in surfer’s
death, citing unsafe riverbed conditions.
Two and a bit months back, a surfer was trapped underwater
after her leash became tangled on an unknown object at Munich’s
famous Eisbach river wave during a midnight sesh.
Witnesses described “dramatic scenes” where the woman cried for
help before being repeatedly pulled underwater by the current. Her
pals tried to get the leash off, the joint pushes 25k litres a
second, but the force of the water made it impossible.
Standing wave form cause of a hydraulic jump, where fast-flowing
water from a narrow, shallow channel slows abruptly as it
encounters a deeper, wider section or an obstruction. At the
Eisbach, this is caused by a concrete step and submerged blocks
under a bridge near the Haus der Kunst museum. The rapid transition
from what it is called supercritical (fast, shallow) to subcritical
(slower, deeper) flow creates the standing wave.
Hell of a current in other words.
The surfers’ attempts were described as “desperate but futile”
as the woman remained submerged for nearly 30 minutes.
The Munich Fire Department
was called and a swift-water rescue team, the Strömungsretter
(current rescuers), used a dive knife to cut the leash and got the
women, unconscious and in a critical condition, impossible
condition, out of the drink. CPR got the heart back but, yeah, but
not many people are coming back from thirty minutes underwater.
One week in intensive care later and she was dead.
Following the accident, Munich authorities closed the wave
indefinitely to investigate the cause and assess safety risks. The
joint has been cordoned off and marked with “No Entry” signs. The
city issued a general decree banning surfing “until further
notice,” citing potential dangers. Violators face fines of up to
€50,000, as enforced by the Department for Climate and
Environmental Protection.
Yeah, fifty k. Them Krauts don’t mess around.
As you’d guess, the surfers who frequent the wave are pretty
bummed and fear the iconic wave, a global attraction since surfing
was legalised there in 2010, might face permanent restrictions.
The investigation, led by the Munich I Public Prosecutor’s
Office, involved lowering the Eisbach’s water level on April 30,
2025, to inspect the riverbed.
Fifty cops, including divers, examined the area, focusing on
“disturbance stones” that shape the wave’s flow. No large objects
like scooters or shopping carts were found, but several small
metallic items were collected for analysis to determine if they
contributed to the leash entanglement. The investigation considered
whether a discarded object caused the accident, which could lead to
charges like negligent bodily harm or manslaughter, though it’s
also possible the incident was a pure accident.
As of the latest updates, the Eisbach remains closed, with no
reopening date announced, pending the investigation’s outcome.
Dylan Graves gave it the Weird Waves treatment a while back if
you wanna know more about it.
In the meantime, landlocked Munich now has its dreamy Endless
Surf wavepool so, cost aside, locals can still do their lil chop
hops etc.
