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Boating accidents in numbers

There is no single official count of boating accidents in Germany or Spain. This page brings together what the authorities and rescue services publish themselves, in numbers, for German waters, Lake Constance and the Spanish coast. Each series counts something different, so each one comes with its scope.

Recreational boating deaths and missing persons, Germany (BSU)

The peak was 8 people in 2022 and the low was 1 in both 2018 and 2021; 2023, 2024 and 2025 each recorded 3. The figures cover only cases reported to the German marine accident investigator from sea areas and maritime waterways, so inland waters are missing.

people. Source: Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung, Jahresbericht 2025, Tabelle 10, S. 58 (PDF-Seite 58)

Call-outs of the German lifeboat service (DGzRS)

2,140

1,720

2,023

1,883

1,938

1,775

1,723

Call-outs peaked at 2,140 in 2019 and were lowest at 1,720 in 2020; 2025 saw 1,723. They cover every type of vessel on the North Sea and Baltic, including commercial shipping and fishing.

call-outs. Source: DGzRS, Längsseits 1/2021 (PDF-S. 4), 1/2022 (PDF-S. 4), 1/2023 (PDF-S. 13), 1/2024 (PDF-S. 8), 1/2025

People helped by the DGzRS

3,396

3,492

3,505

3,289

3,532

2,967

3,389

The highest figure was 3,532 in 2023 and the lowest 2,967 in 2024; in 2025 it was 3,389. All vessel types are included, not only leisure craft.

people. Source: DGzRS, Längsseits 1/2021 bis 1/2025 und Jahresbericht 2025 (Seiten wie bei Einsätze insgesamt)

Vessel accidents on Lake Constance

147

150

130

133

141

116

123

107

148

The series ranges from 107 in 2022 to 150 in both 2015 and 2016, with 148 in 2023. It covers the whole lake shared by Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and in 2023 mostly involved 90 motorboats and 72 sailing boats.

accidents. Source: Internationale Unfallstatistik für den Bodensee 2023, S. 4; 2020 bis 2022 aus den Jahresberichten, S. 4

People rescued on Lake Constance

432

472

468

493

629

Police boats rescued 432 people in 2019 and 629 in 2023, the highest in the series. The count covers the whole lake across all three countries.

people. Source: Internationale Unfallstatistik für den Bodensee 2020 bis 2023, jeweils S. 6

Leisure boats assisted by Salvamento Marítimo, Spain

2,402

2,541

2,333

2,825

2,826

2,351

2,359

3,037

Each annual report gives a figure from 2,333 in 2020 to 3,037 in 2025, the highest in the series. Later reports sometimes restate earlier years: the 2025 report states a 3% rise over 2024, while the 2024 report itself gave 2,359, so year-on-year changes should be read with care.

boats. Source: Salvamento Marítimo (SASEMAR), Informe Anual / Memoria 2018 bis 2025

Hospital admissions after drowning incidents involving boats, Spain

The highest figure was 28 in 2012 and the lowest 8 in 2022; 2024 recorded 12. The hospital register does not define the category, so it probably covers all watercraft, not only leisure boats.

admissions. Source: Ministerio de Sanidad, Informe sobre la prevención de ahogamientos y lesiones graves en medio acuático 2026

Causes of vessel accidents on Lake Constance, 2023

Lack of care by the skipper77

Technical faults or equipment28

Storm or sea state18

Other18

Ignoring the rules of navigation7

Lack of care by the skipper led with 77 cases, well ahead of technical faults with 28.

Source: Internationale Unfallstatistik für den Bodensee 2023, S. 5

All figures come from the body named for each series, scopes differ, and the series must not be added together.

Where the numbers come from and what they leave out

Germany has no nationwide count of leisure boating accidents. The marine accident investigator stopped reporting the number of recreational boating incidents after its 2019 report and now lists only deaths and missing persons, while the lifeboat service publishes totals for all vessel types online.

In Spain, the maritime accident commission CIAIM publishes individual investigation reports but no annual statistics, and the national drowning report of the lifesaving federation does not separate boats. Salvamento Marítimo gives no breakdown of causes for leisure boats.

What this means for skippers

The only cause breakdown in these sources comes from Lake Constance: every year from 2020 to 2023 the police named lack of care by the skipper as the leading cause, with 77 cases in 2023.

On the same lake, collisions were the most common type of accident in 2023 with 53 cases, and harbours and pontoons were the most common location with 50. Careful, slow manoeuvring close to shore addresses exactly where these boating accidents happen.

How many people die in boating accidents at sea in Germany?

The German marine accident investigator recorded 3 deaths and missing persons in recreational boating in 2025, the same as in 2023 and 2024. The peak since 2016 was 8 in 2022. Inland waters are not included.

How many leisure boats does Salvamento Marítimo assist?

Its 2025 report gives 3,037 leisure boats involved in emergencies, the highest figure since 2018. The lowest was 2,333 in 2020.

How many vessel accidents happen on Lake Constance?

The joint statistics of Germany, Austria and Switzerland counted 148 vessel accidents in 2023, up from 107 in 2022.

What is the most common cause of boating accidents?

On Lake Constance in 2023 it was lack of care by the skipper, with 77 cases. Neither Germany nor Spain publishes a national cause breakdown.

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