The June sun beats down mercilessly, the temperatures shoot up and you long for nothing more than a pleasant refreshment. For those who then go to the bathing lake with a grill, beer and bratwurst, that means relaxation. For Tobias Meindl (Photo: private) that’s called work. One that he enjoys doing, but in which he bears a great deal of responsibility.
As a volunteer at the water rescue service in Unterföhring, he takes care of safety in and around Lake Feringa on weekends and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. According to statistics, the lifeguards provide 181 first aid cases per year, such as bee stings, abrasions or circulatory problems. Swimmers have to be rescued five times a year. 13 missing person searches and 62 boat deployments are counted. “On a few weekends, like the last one, we’re almost constantly on duty,” says Meindl. The software developer from Unterföhring works full-time in a data center, “So something practical like the water rescue service is pretty cool to compensate.” At the age of 14, the now 24-year-old joined the youth group of the water rescue service, “at the time a little bullied by his parents” and today from intrinsic motivation. “If an emergency occurs, you help and do something for society.”
One such emergency occurred last weekend. A six-year-old girl was reported missing and the lifeguard’s own drone was used. Meindl controlled the aircraft with an integrated thermal imaging camera, allowing large areas to be searched quickly. “In this way you can rule out a lot of things, which saves time in an emergency,” says Meindl. This enabled the little girl’s mother to take part in the search on a monitor. Missing people can be identified quickly if necessary. Loudspeaker announcements are possible while the drone hovers above the bathers. If the description of a child with a blue bathing cap and red sandals sounds from above, this will help with the search. “As soon as we can’t completely rule out that a child is in the water, that naturally leads to a major search operation,” says the lifeguard. There are DLRG, fire brigade and police there. It was the same with the six-year-old, who fortunately was found shortly afterwards.
Tobias Meindl and his team ensure that the lake is a safe and beautiful place to relax.
(Photo: water rescue service)
In such cases, the work of the water rescue service is essential. In addition, she ensures that the lake and adjacent nature reserves are free of rubbish. “So that the lake stays pretty,” says Meindl. As soon as the bathers arrive, the security service goes into position. If there is little going on, there is time to swim a lap or ride a stand-up paddle board. In the evening there is often a barbecue in the team. There are also small festivals and benefits for the helpers in the form of a volunteer card that allows free entry to state museums. Small incentives to value the work and recruit new staff. Because that’s what people are desperately looking for.