A Dutch man has died in a diving accident in the Kreidesee in Hemmoor, northern Germany. According to the police, the 34-year-old man suddenly made an emergency ascent.
Fire brigade divers who happened to be on site pulled him out of the lake. The man was then resuscitated. It is not clear why the Dutchman wanted to abort his dive. Too rapid an ascent can cause decompression sickness or lung overpressure injury.
The police report that an investigation into the accident is underway. According to a police spokesperson, the man was diving with a group of Dutch people.
The Kreidesee is a former chalk mine in the German state of Lower Saxony. The mine closed in 1976. It was then converted into a lake. Because of the clear water and a depth of about 60 meters, the Kreidesee is a well-known diving area. Around 30,000 divers visit it every year.
According to German media, the chalk lake is also popular with divers from abroad. According to the police, there are two to four diving accidents every year, reports the German broadcaster NDR.