A 72-year-old man was suffering from severe hypothermia when Hamburg firefighters pulled him from the Elbe River. An internet user spotted him drifting from a webcam and called the authorities.
File photo of Hamburg emergency workers searching for a missing person on the Elbe in 2018Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Bockwoldt
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An observant webcam watcher has saved the life of a 72-year-old man floating in the Elbe River in the busy northern German port city of Hamburg.
Hamburg water police received a call from an internet user early Thursday morning saying he had seen the man drifting in the river on a webcam attached to a ferry pier, the Hamburg fire brigade said.
Several small boats and police divers were sent to rescue the man who was too weak to grasp the lifebelt they threw him.
When emergency workers pulled him on board lifeboats the man appeared to be suffering severe hypothermia.
It is still unclear exactly how the man ended up drifting in the river although local media reported he had fallen in near a path next to the water.
Happy birthday, Hamburg Port!
Hamburg is celebrating the 829th anniversary of its renowned port. Every year, the event draws about a million people, who gather along the river Elbe to take a look at one-of-a-kind parade involving hundreds of ships.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Bockwoldt
Unique parade
Every year in May, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the promenades along the Elbe River in Hamburg to catch a glimpse of a unique ship parade. Hundreds of cruise ships, sailing vessels and tugboats from across the world take part in the parade as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Scholz
Long tradition
It is said that the port anniversary celebrations date back to the days of the 12th-century emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. The ruler granted a tax exemption on trade in the Hamburg port area on May 7, 1189 — a decision that gave a major boost to the city's fortunes. More than 800 years later, the day is still celebrated as the birth of Hamburg's port.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Scholz
'Graceful' tugboats
Hamburg's port anniversary festivities are incomplete without the popular tugboat ballet. It's a real spectacle to see tugboats make their pirouettes at 500 horsepower to the strains of classical music.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
South African cuisine
This year’s partner country for the harbor festival is South Africa. Helen Zille, the premier of South Africa's Western Cape province, joined Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher to officially ring in the world's biggest harbor festival with a ship’s bell. Visitors got to relish culinary delicacies from the South African province like biltong and wines.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Scholz
Gateway to the world
The River Elbe has for long been Hamburg's gateway to the world. It's Hamburg's main waterway and connects the city to the North Sea. The Elbe is one of the main reasons for Hamburg's economic prowess and multicultural vibe.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Scholz
Eye-catching 'Elphi'
The Elbe Philharmonic Hall, which was thrown open to people in January, last year, is now a trademark of Hamburg's skyline. The impressive piece of architecture, which the locals affectionately call the "Elphi," is already among the most visited sites in Germany. Last year, some 4.5 million visitors flocked to its viewing platform to enjoy panoramic views of the harbor.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
World Heritage Site
A defining feature of the port city is its warehouse district or "Speicherstadt." Constructed between 1885 and 1927, the "Speicherstadt" is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is considered to be the largest uniform collection of warehouses in the world.
