Fire Department of Mainz hosts 51st New Year's Eve swim: revised event features a reduced distance for equally enjoyable aquatic festivities

Mainz New Year's Day Swim Successfully Held Amidst Community Support

The 51st annual New Year's Day swim organised by the Fire Department Mainz took place this morning, with a record 200 brave swimmers braving the 13°C cold Rhine. The event, which ended in a cosy atmosphere at the Rheingoldhalle, was a resounding success despite the changed route and the cancellation in 2023 due to high water.

A wide array of participants from fire departments in Aschaffenburg, Kaiserslautern, Ludwigshafen, Maintal, Main-Taunus-Kreis, Mainz, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Offenbach, and Wiesbaden, as well as the police reserve, water police, German Armed Forces, State Fire and Disaster Protection Academy, various local groups of the German Life Saving Association (DLRG), German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), private diving clubs, and employees of politics and administration of the city of Mainz, all contributed to the event's success.

Mayor Nino Haase gave the starting signal at 10 am and participated in the swim. Notable figures from politics and society were also present, with Mayor Haase and Mr. Stefan Behrendt, Inspector of Fire and Disaster Protection of the City of Mainz, being among them.

Several rescue boats were present to ensure safety during the swim, and participants had to start from the stairs at the Kaiser Tor instead of the fire-fighting boat due to safety reasons. Around 400 spectators watched the event from the riverbank.

The proceeds from the accompanying donation campaign will be donated to the "Early Start e.V." association in Mainz this year. The association, founded in 1993, works for premature babies, sick newborns, and at-risk children. The main focus of the donation is to improve the care of children on the neonatal intensive care unit and the associated aftercare facilities of the children's clinic at the University Medical Center Mainz.

Some swimmers were creatively dressed or used floating utensils, adding a festive touch to the event. As the swimmers bid farewell to the year along the riverbank, the Fire Department Mainz wished all citizens a safe slide into the new year and all the best for 2025.

For further inquiries, contact the City of Mainz Fire Department at 06131 - 12 4650, [email protected], or visit their website. The Fire Department Mainz looks forward to welcoming everyone again next year.

Fire Department of Mainz hosts 51st New Year's Eve swim: revised event features a reduced distance for equally enjoyable aquatic festivities