VIDEOS, PHOTOS: Adolescents swim in Danube floodwater near Parliament, disaster tourist’s life rescued

Three young people thought it was a good idea to swim in Danube floodwater in Budapest, near the Parliament during yesterday’s peaking. An expert says people swimming and bathing in the Danube may get diarrhoea, sepsis and other lethal diseases. Meanwhile, the river reached an illegal landfill spreading waste in South Budapest.

Youth swam in Danube floodwater near Parliament

We wrote in THIS article that the residents and tourists in Budapest were not in panic because of the historic flood peaking yesterday. Instead of keeping a distance from the Danube embankments, they swarmed around the river and tried to take as many photos and selfies of the flooding river as possible.

Tram 4 on Margaret Bridge. Photo: MTI

Even though authorities and even Gergely Karácsony, the mayor of the Hungarian capital, raised attention to the dangers of going too close to the Danube, three youngsters thought it was a good idea to bathe in the floodwater. Multiple videos were taken of the dangerous bathing, and one of the commenters congratulated them for swimming in wastewater.

Below you may find two recordings:

@csincsibe 2024.09.20. #budapest #hungry #arviz #parlament #szeptember #duna #flooding #september #magyarorszag #swim #rakpart #danube #friday #autumn ♬ Theme from “A Summer Place” – Percy Faith And His Orchestra

The crowd applauded the performance:

@csincsibe Válasz @krisztinnovk4 ♬ eredeti hang – Csilla Szabó

Flooding Danube may cause diarrhoea

According to András Késmárki, an ER medic, swimming, and bathing in the Danube is like submerging in wastewater. There may be bacteria causing deadly diseases like diarrhoea in the water. The most common consequence is stomach or intestinal infections, he told RTL Klub. That can even cause sepsis in the human body, which is why authorities must disinfect the flooded roads, gardens and wharves in Budapest and other affected settlements.

Disaster tourist’s life rescued

Disaster management workers, firefighters, members of the water police, and volunteers rescued the life of a disaster tourist in Tahitótfalu. Their boat capsized and a man was waiting for somebody to help him out from the storming Danube. The authorities were on the spot in minutes and could locate the individual needing their help in no time. The divers reached him and rescued him with a boat of the volunteer firefighters.

The disaster management authorities wrote that entering the flooded Danube without a life jacket and ignoring the prohibition is not only irresponsible but also life-threatening. HERE is the video of the action.

The water level is rising in Baja, South Hungary. Photo: MTI

Divers saved a dam in Pilismarót

The flood damaged a dam in Pilismarót, a village North of Budapest, so divers had to rescue the settlement from being flooded. According to Szeretlek Magyarország, they strengthened the protective installation with bags full of stones. A crane carried the immense weight but the divers had to put the load into position. They shared a video about the action:

Illegal landfill flooded by the Danube in Budapest

The Danube reached an illegal landfill in Csepel, Budapest’s 21st district. In 2013, the water level was similarly high but the amount of waste was lower there, the electoral district leader of Former PM Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition told hvg.hu. A couple of days ago he and another politician of the DK talked to the authorities about the possible damage of the 1,500 m3 landfill to Budapest’s water base.

The Danube reached the territory by Saturday. Lénárd Borbély, the mayor of the district, wrote in a Facebook post that the illegal waste was placed on private properties and the Danube began to spread it, which will be a serious challenge after the water recedes.

The Chain Bridge and the Hungarian Parliament. Photo: MTI

Read also:

• Flood in Hungary: Danube peaks in Budapest, gradual recession expected – read more HERE
• Flood PHOTO REPORT: Hungary underwater