Boyfriend Sues Over Surfer’s Death at Munich’s Eisbach Wave – River Closed, Surfers Face $50K Fines

Lawsuit alleges negligent bodily harm in surfer’s death, citing unsafe riverbed conditions.

Two and a bit months back, a surfer was trapped underwater after her leash became tangled on an unknown object at Munich’s famous Eisbach river wave during a midnight sesh.

Witnesses described “dramatic scenes” where the woman cried for help before being repeatedly pulled underwater by the current. Her pals tried to get the leash off, the joint pushes 25k litres a second, but the force of the water made it impossible.

Standing wave form cause of a hydraulic jump, where fast-flowing water from a narrow, shallow channel slows abruptly as it encounters a deeper, wider section or an obstruction. At the Eisbach, this is caused by a concrete step and submerged blocks under a bridge near the Haus der Kunst museum. The rapid transition from what it is called supercritical (fast, shallow) to subcritical (slower, deeper) flow creates the standing wave.

Hell of a current in other words.

The surfers’ attempts were described as “desperate but futile” as the woman remained submerged for nearly 30 minutes.

The Munich Fire Department was called and a swift-water rescue team, the Strömungsretter (current rescuers), used a dive knife to cut the leash and got the women, unconscious and in a critical condition, impossible condition, out of the drink. CPR got the heart back but, yeah, but not many people are coming back from thirty minutes underwater.

One week in intensive care later and she was dead.

Following the accident, Munich authorities closed the wave indefinitely to investigate the cause and assess safety risks. The joint has been cordoned off and marked with “No Entry” signs. The city issued a general decree banning surfing “until further notice,” citing potential dangers. Violators face fines of up to €50,000, as enforced by the Department for Climate and Environmental Protection.

Yeah, fifty k. Them Krauts don’t mess around.

As you’d guess, the surfers who frequent the wave are pretty bummed and fear the iconic wave, a global attraction since surfing was legalised there in 2010, might face permanent restrictions.

The investigation, led by the Munich I Public Prosecutor’s Office, involved lowering the Eisbach’s water level on April 30, 2025, to inspect the riverbed.

Fifty cops, including divers, examined the area, focusing on “disturbance stones” that shape the wave’s flow. No large objects like scooters or shopping carts were found, but several small metallic items were collected for analysis to determine if they contributed to the leash entanglement. The investigation considered whether a discarded object caused the accident, which could lead to charges like negligent bodily harm or manslaughter, though it’s also possible the incident was a pure accident.

As of the latest updates, the Eisbach remains closed, with no reopening date announced, pending the investigation’s outcome.

Dylan Graves gave it the Weird Waves treatment a while back if you wanna know more about it.

In the meantime, landlocked Munich now has its dreamy Endless Surf wavepool so, cost aside, locals can still do their lil chop hops etc.