After work, not only the Eisbach streams rush through the English Garden in Munich, but also dozens of swimmers. Nicholas and Daniel are there. Arriving before the threshold of Dianabad, the two of them return to Eisbahwella and then jump into the water again. “Actually, today is my first time. It was great, I can recommend it,” says Nicholas.
But what is pure pleasure for many often turns out to be dangerous. In Bavaria alone, at least 24 people drowned in lakes, rivers and swimming pools during this year’s swimming season from May to June. Affected: especially young men.
About the article: 17 swimming deaths in Bavaria – water rescue service warns against carelessness
Red Cross: Men often underestimate risks
“Of the 24 swimming deaths, 23 were men,” said Claire Kolodinski from the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK). A trend that has been observed for a long time. In recent years, it has been mostly men who have died while swimming in Bavaria. “In our view, men in particular die while swimming because they may overestimate their strength and then underestimate the water. A lake like this is not an open-air pool,” Claire Kolodinsky told BR.
According to the DBK press secretary, young men aged 20 to 30 are at particular risk and are a kind of “risk group”. Twelve of the 24 reported bathing deaths in Bavaria were men of this age.
Men are not always more willing to take risks than women.
Why men take certain risks can be answered through research. Lauryn Tisdall is a psychologist and a risk researcher at the University of Basel.
From a psychological point of view, willingness to take risks means that there may be negative consequences when making a decision. These consequences can vary: for example, you could lose money or even jeopardize your own safety.
However, if you look at the overall situation of the study, you can see: “Men, on average, are more willing to take risks than women,” explains Tisdall. They perceive the risk that something bad will happen to be lower than women. At the same time, they evaluate the benefits of their actions as higher and therefore more positive. Tisdall says young people are particularly willing to take risks.
But there are also obvious limitations. On the one hand, willingness to take risks varies depending on the area of life. Especially when it comes to health, leisure and finances, you may notice that men tend to take more risks. For example, the question: Do I jump from a bridge into a lake? Social factors also play a role. Tisdall says risk-taking behavior can act as a status signal: you want to show what you dare and appear particularly strong. The traditional image of a man, who can become even stronger in the company of friends, also plays a role.
On the other hand, most studies are conducted in large groups and use different measurement methods. According to Tisdall, it is impossible for individuals to tell why exactly they take risks – so there is no specific reason that needs to be addressed to avoid accidents.
Gender trends are also evident across the country.
Data from the German Life Saving Society (DLRG) shows that men nationwide are also more likely to die while swimming.
According to DLRG statistics, 393 people died from drowning in Germany in 2025, of which 312 were men. That’s almost 80 percent. This proportion has remained virtually unchanged over the past 15 years.