14-year-old drowns in Drava River; police issue safety warning

A tragic incident occurred in Međimurje where a 14-year-old boy drowned while swimming in the old riverbed of the Drava near Gornji Hrašćan. The incident took place on Saturday afternoon, prompting a large-scale search operation.

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The Međimurje Police Department received a report yesterday at 12:15 PM about a missing boy while swimming in the old riverbed of the Drava River near Gornji Hrašćan.

According to police reports, the boy was part of a group of friends swimming in the area. He reportedly jumped into the river from the bank and swam towards the center. At one point, the main current of the river pulled him underwater, and he did not resurface. Drones and divers were deployed in the search.

Rescuers from the Public Firefighting Unit of Čakovec found the boy's body at approximately 2:20 PM. A medical examiner determined that there were no signs of foul play, concluding that the death was due to drowning. Police extended their condolences to the family.

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Unfortunately, at 2:20 PM, divers from the Public Firefighting Unit of Čakovec found the lifeless body of the minor.

Following the tragedy, authorities reiterated important safety warnings for swimmers. They emphasized the importance of using only designated and supervised swimming areas, avoiding unknown locations with sudden depth changes, not overestimating swimming abilities, and never swimming alone. The police also cautioned against swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs and highlighted the particular dangers of rivers, which can have strong currents, underwater vortices, and shifting channels, posing risks even to experienced swimmers.

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To avoid tragic events and maximize swimmer safety, we remind citizens to use designated swimming areas supervised by professional services.