Last week, a team of divers from the Antwerp fire department rescued a drowning person from Scheldt River. In fact, this all transpired outside our office window (we all thought it was a training exercise).

The victim claimed to be a mermaid and refused to be rescued. The dive team actually had to pursue the woman before they could pull her into a rescue boat. The woman was brought to the hospital where doctors determined light hypothermia.

The fire department again emphasized the dangers of swimming on the River with its strong and perilous currents.