Two bodies recovered from water in Lithuania

Two bodies were recovered from water bodies in Lithuania on Sunday, according to a report by LRT and the ELTA news agency.

In Klaipėda, emergency services received a report at 10:05 AM about a possible drowning in a pond near Varpų Street. Firefighters found a body three meters from the shore, which was later handed over to police, said Giedrius Vaičiulis, chief specialist at the Fire and Rescue Department’s Situation Coordination Division.

A second body was discovered in the Kaišiadorys district, near Rumšiškės, in a water body off Vajakiškių Street. The victim had been missing since Saturday.

Drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death worldwide, with the World Health Organization estimating 236,000 fatalities annually. In Lithuania, firefighters have already retrieved 56 drowning victims this year, including one minor. Since June 1, 24 people have drowned, while 20 were rescued, nine of them this summer alone.

Lithuania has one of the highest drowning rates in the EU, second only to Latvia. Men drown nearly four times more often than women, with most incidents involving people aged 45–69. Alcohol is a factor in 57% of cases, with rural areas seeing more than twice as many drownings as cities.

Experts note that most drownings occur in familiar locations—lakes, rivers, or ponds near homes—rather than at resorts or beaches. Common causes include overestimating swimming ability, alcohol consumption, jumping into unknown waters, and leaving children unattended.