The Municipality of Dupnitsa announced three days of mourning in memory of the four members of the same family who drowned in a tragic incident in the Struma River. By order of Mayor Parvan Dangov, starting Monday (July 6, 2026), the national flag and the flags of the municipality will be lowered to half-mast. All public celebrations, cultural, entertainment and musical events in the city are canceled. The school where the two deceased children studied also announced that it was canceling the planned graduation ceremony for the school year.
Chronology of the incident and the rescue operation
The tragedy took place on Friday afternoon (July 3, 2026) near the Kyustendil village of Pastuh, Nevestino municipality. A grandmother, grandfather, and three grandchildren (ages 6, 8, and 11) arrive in the area for a family picnic.
- The fatal moment: One of the children enters the water and falls into an extremely deep pool with a strong current. In an attempt to save him, the other child, then the grandparents, jump into the water one after the other. The four are quickly swept away by the whirlpool.
- The only survivor: The youngest child (a 6-year-old boy) remains on the shore. He managed to maintain his composure, went out onto the nearby main road and stopped a passing car to call 112. The signal was registered around 17:20 - 17:30 on Friday.
- Discovery of the bodies: On Friday evening, rescuers discovered the bodies of the grandmother, grandfather and the 11-year-old girl. The large-scale search operation for the second missing child continues for over 24 hours with the participation of divers, sonar, drones, police and firefighters. The rescue operation ends after divers remove the body of the 8-year-old boy from the same ten-meter pool.
Safety lapses and investigation
The place where the drowning occurred is extremely risky and is over 10 meters deep. There is a cave formed under an underwater rock that creates powerful whirlpools and literally sucks in beachgoers.
The Municipality of Nevestino explains that every summer an explicit order is issued banning swimming in the Struma River, but it is largely ignored by citizens. At the time of the incident, the warning sign in the area was missing, and it is assumed that it was broken.
The case has been taken over by the District Prosecutor's Office - Kyustendil. Under its leadership, procedural and investigative actions continue to clarify all the details surrounding the serious incident. The Municipality of Dupnitsa announced that it will fully provide financial support for the funeral ceremonies of the bereaved family.
Sources: BNT, BTA, NOVA