As a lifeguard with two decades’ experience, Mathias Nobel has seen it all while standing vigil at the Heidebad lakeside beach in Halle, eastern Germany.
Whether it be small children swimming without armbands, or parents enjoying a few too many cocktails at his Hawaiian-style beach bar, he has always known how to react.
But this summer, Mr Nobel made the unconventional decision to ban non-German speakers from the lake on the grounds of safety, saying swimmers must be able to understand his instructions and rules.
As a lifeguard with two decades’ experience, Mathias Nobel has seen it all while on duty at Heidebad lakeside beach in Halle, eastern Germany.
However, this summer, Nobel decided to ban people who cannot speak German from the lake on the grounds of safety, saying swimmers must… pic.twitter.com/Q8XmtaMWo3
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 10, 2026
