Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: CEN

This 34-year-old man has drowned after jumping into a pond as part of a bet even though he could not swim.

The incident happened in Chieming, a municipality in the south-eastern German state of Bavaria when a Romanian worker at a horse farm jumped into the pond after making a bet with another man.

However, the Romanian could not swim and immediately began sinking in the lake to the shock of his betting partner.

Pictures Credit: CEN

The man immediately called the help of another worker as they tried to locate the Romanian man in the pond’s murky waters.

A police spokesman said: “When he did not emerge, two workers tried in vain to recover him from the pond, which was up to four metres deep.”

As they were unable to locate the Romanian worker the duo called the emergency services, with the police, fire brigade as well as a specialist diver team of the German Life Saving Association answering the call.

The police spokesman said: “After the water rescue services arrived, the missing Romanian was found at the bottom of the pond and rescued by divers.”

The man could not be resuscitated and emergency doctors could only declare him dead at around 10.20pm.

The criminal police of Traunstein have started an investigation into the case.

According to local media, the betting partner of the Romanian is unlikely to face criminal charges as the man jumped into the pond voluntarily.

The investigation is ongoing.