On July 28, employees of the Balaton Water Police Department rescued a total of fourteen people from the lake in ten cases.
The police announcement according to the stormy wind that developed in the early afternoon, several people got into a situation from which they could not have escaped without the help of the water police. Passengers of an overturned catamaran, drifting dinghies and SUP riders, small boats with technical defects, and a heavily drunk man (who wanted to cross Lake Balaton on a rubber mattress) were helped out of a difficult situation.
The Somogy County Police Headquarters also draws attention to the fact that in the case of a first-degree storm signal, the storm signal flashes 45 times per minute, in which case swimming, boating and other water sports equipment are only permitted within 500 meters of the shore. In the event of a second-degree storm signal, the storm warning device flashes 90 times per minute, in which case bathing is prohibited, as well as boating and other water sports equipment (with the exception of sailboats).
Advice from the Balaton Water Police Police Department:
If you can’t swim, don’t go into the natural waters, maybe just cool off on the beach!
Weak swimmers should only bathe in the shallow water!
Never go too far from shore with equipment you are new to using!
Avoid jumping into the water suddenly from water bikes or other bathing equipment, as it is not certain that we are aware of the water depth, and the water temperature also has a sudden shock effect on the body!
If you are not sure of your own swimming skills and are going out on the water with watercraft, be sure to use a life jacket!
If possible, avoid being in open water during extreme heat during the heat peaks (between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.)!
Try not to consume alcohol in order to be physically able to deal with an emergency!
Avoid swimming alone and using bathing equipment away from the shore!
Most of the time, dangerous situations can be prevented by taking into account the storm warning, good situation assessment and observing basic safety measures.
The police ask that anyone who gets into trouble on Lake Balaton report it to the Balaton Water Police Police Department’s free emergency number 1817.
Source: propeller.hu
