Teen Drownings in Belgian Quarry Renew Lake Drainage Calls

Two 17-year-old teenagers drowned on Tuesday afternoon in the “Lac Bleu” (Blue Lake) of the former Chanxhe quarry in Sprimont, Province of Liège, Belgium, as a severe heatwave swept the country with temperatures exceeding 30°C. The tragedy has renewed calls from Sprimont’s mayor, Luc Delvaux, to permanently drain the lake — a radical solution he first proposed in 2019.

The Incident

The victims were part of a group of five adolescents who entered the private, strictly prohibited site to swim despite clear warning signs, barriers, barbed wire, and large boulders designed to deter entry. According to RTBF, the two teenagers, both from the Liège region, did not know how to swim. Three of their companions managed to return to shore safely.

Emergency services responded swiftly. Firefighters from the Vesdre-Hogne-Plateau zone deployed divers, and the medical helicopter from Bra-sur-Lienne was dispatched to the scene. Despite their efforts, the two adolescents were declared dead. The Liège public prosecutor’s office, led by Procureur du Roi Renaud Xhonneux, has opened a judicial inquiry. The three surviving teenagers were too traumatized to be interviewed on the evening of the incident, according to RTL Luxembourg via AFP.

A Site with a Troubled History

The Chanxhe quarry, also known as “Lac Bleu” for its striking blue-green water, was an active limestone extraction site until operations ceased in 2005. After abandonment, the pit naturally filled with groundwater and rainwater, creating a deep lake that has become an irresistible — and deadly — attraction, especially during heatwaves.

The site is private property, owned by the quarry operator Sprimont Blue (Carrières de Sprimont et de Chanxhe). Despite multiple layers of deterrence — legal prohibition, signage, barriers, barbed wire, boulders, police patrols, and fines of up to €350 — the lake has continued to attract swimmers for years. A 2020 report by RTBF documented over 100 people swimming at the site on hot days, with swimmers acknowledging they climbed over barriers and through barbed wire to access the water. The lake contains a siphon — an underwater suction hazard — that makes swimming particularly dangerous.

Renewed Calls for Drainage

Mayor Luc Delvaux, visibly emotional, described the incident as “the accidental death of two young people” and confirmed that the prosecutor’s office would investigate. Speaking to RTBF, he renewed his push for complete drainage of the lake, stating: “Since 2019, I had already proposed as a solution the draining of this disused quarry, the only effective one in my opinion.”

However, the operation presents significant challenges. “There are thousands of cubic meters of water filling this former quarry,” Delvaux noted. The project would require coordination with multiple stakeholders, including the Voies hydrauliques (waterway authority) and Infrabel, due to nearby railway lines. A permit would be necessary, and the costs would fall entirely on the private property owner.

Broader Implications

The tragedy has highlighted a fundamental tension: the “Lac Bleu” is a beautiful natural feature that draws visitors, but it is also lethally dangerous. The victims’ inability to swim, combined with the lake’s cold water, depth, and underwater siphon, created a fatal combination.

The incident also raises broader questions about the safety of abandoned quarry sites across Belgium and Europe, many of which become de facto swimming holes during heatwaves. Swimmers interviewed in 2020 complained that Wallonia lacks sufficient free, accessible swimming facilities compared to Flanders, driving people to dangerous natural sites.

Belgium is in the grip of a severe heatwave, with temperatures expected to peak at 38°C by Friday, 26 June. Schools in Liège have suspended classes from 24-26 June due to the orange code heat warning, and hospitals report 15-20% more emergency patients due to heat-related illnesses.

What’s Next

A decision on the drainage proposal has not yet been announced. The project would require environmental and construction permits, funding from the property owner, and coordination with infrastructure authorities. Whether this tragedy will prompt a broader review of safety at abandoned quarry sites across Wallonia — or renewed calls for more public swimming infrastructure — remains to be seen. For now, the community of Sprimont mourns two young lives lost to a danger that authorities have struggled for years to contain.