Parents of drowned teen demand closure of lake near Roskilde Festival

The parents of a 17-year-old boy who drowned in Himmelsøen lake near Roskilde Festival last year are calling for the lake to be closed during this year’s event, DR reports.

Elias disappeared while swimming with friends in the former gravel pit lake, just minutes from the festival site. His companions told his parents he suddenly looked unwell before vanishing beneath the murky water. A free diver later recovered his body, but Elias died in hospital on 2 July.

His parents, Helle and Morten, criticise both Roskilde Festival and Roskilde Municipality for failing to prevent the tragedy. They note that Himmelsøen—distinct from the festival’s official swimming area—remains open to bathers despite its dangers.

“He was a strong swimmer, and the autopsy showed no alcohol or drugs in his system,” they said. Investigations revealed that such gravel pit lakes often have abrupt depth changes and poor visibility, increasing drowning risks.

Elias’s death was the first in a series of four drownings in Roskilde’s gravel pit lakes over the past year, including two last weekend. Nationally, such lakes account for four of 13 fatal accidents in Danish raw material pits over 20 years, according to the Council for Greater Bathing and Water Safety.

The parents argue the lake should be closed during the festival due to the influx of young, often intoxicated visitors unfamiliar with the area. They also highlight flaws in the municipality’s safety assessment, which covered only part of the lake and lacked warning signs near festival access points.

Roskilde Municipality states that warning signs were in place at the time of Elias’s death and that its safety evaluation applies only to the recommended swimming area. Roskilde Festival, while not legally responsible for the lake, faces moral pressure from the parents to deter attendees from using it.