Two Germans missing after diving into Maas to save mobile phone

Rescue services searched an area of Venlo including the city harbour. Photo: Depositphotos

A search has resumed for two Germans who were swept away when they dived into the Maas river in Venlo to try to retrieve a mobile phone.

The men, aged 21 and 22, were reported missing after they went into the water at about 7am on Sunday and failed to surface.

A 36-year-old man from Venlo who dived in at the same time managed to swim to the bank and raise the alarm. A police spokesman said the Germans dived in after one of them dropped his phone into the water.

Emergency services scanned a stretch of river from the Limburg city’s harbour to the A67 motorway with a sonar boat for 12 hours before suspending the search at 5pm.

The search resumed on Monday morning, but police said it could take some time to recover the bodies because of the strong current.

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