Little hope as three missing after swimming in Germany's Rhine River

Three people are missing after going swimming in the Rhine during hot weather in Germany, a police spokeswoman told dpa on Sunday.

"We have to assume the worst," she said, adding that the search had been called off.

A police riverboat went out on Saturday evening after a 50-year-old man failed to return from a swim.

During their search they were alerted by people on the bank to the fact that two other people aged 23 and 27 had failed to surface. They were reported to be unable to swim and an initial search failed to find them.

The spokeswoman said that many people underestimate the strength of the currents. Cities along the river, including Dusseldorf, Cologne, Neuss and Duisburg have banned swimming after repeated drownings.

On Saturday, a 23-year-old man drowned in a lake near Karlsruhe. A police spokesman said his lifeless body was recovered by rescue services from the water.