Austrian student who swam in Love River could be fined NT$25,000
Austrian student who swam in Love River could be fined NT$25,000
2026-07-24
A late night stroll alongside Kaohsiung’s Love River is free, a river cruise sets you back NT$150, but a late night dip is the most expensive experience of all, as the maximum fine for swimming in the river is NT$25,000. Two exchange students from Austria were sipping on cold adult beverages when the boyfriend decided the best way to cool off would be jumping in, an innocent mistake that could have costly consequences.
- You can’t swim here
- Sorry sorry
Fearing someone had accidentally fallen into Kaohsiung’s Love River, police rushed over to the shore, where they saw a foreign exchange student enjoying a late night swim.
-This is a river, not a swimming pool. We’re here at the scene, It was a foreigner imming;
no one fell into the river
The male student quickly got out of the water and put on his shirt. His girlfriend, who is also a student from Austria, looked nervous as she stood on the riverside walkway. At 1 am this morning, the couple realized that not even cold adult beverages could cool them down in the heat of the Kaohsiung night, so the 22-year-old boyfriend took a late night dip, which he later realized could be a costly error.
- You need to go to the police station
- This might be a finable offense
Apparently, the Love River is for lovers, not swimmers. The police later notified Kaohsiung’s Tourism Bureau, who will fine the Austrian national anywhere between NT$5,000 and NT$25,000.
Chien Chun-cheng
Kaohsiung Police Department
This case will be handled according to Article 13 of the Kaohsiung City Self-Government Ordinance for the Management of Love River.
Despite the city government’s recent policy of “returning the river to the people,” currently only a few areas allow people into the water, providing that they use non-motorized floating devices. People are not allowed to swim wherever and whenever they please.
Riverside exerciser
Proponent of swimming safety
You can’t swim in Love River. People drowned in it before. It’s dangerous.
Member of public
Advised against swimming in river
The river’s gotten a lot cleaner ever since the government started regulating it. But still it’s not a good place to swim like that, because there’s dangerous aspects involved.
Visitors from other countries might not be familiar with local laws, but even a fine of NT$25,000 will hurt much less than a swimming experience that ends in tragedy.
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#intheheatofthenight #LoveRiver #Kaohsiung #Austria #swimming #latenightswim
深夜酒後興起! 2奧地利留學生跳愛河消暑 恐挨罰2.5萬
2026-07-24
高雄天氣熱，凌晨有外籍留學生竟然把愛河當成游泳池，跳下水消暑，警方獲報，以為有人落水，到場才發現有名奧地利籍男子正在游泳，雖然他連連道歉，說不知道不能下水，但已經觸法還是被帶回偵辦。
- 不能游泳
- Sorry sorry
警方趕到愛河邊，以為有人落水，結果發現居然是有外籍學生在游泳。
- 這裡是河流，現在在現場，是外國人在游泳，沒有落水情事
男學生趕緊上岸，穿好衣物，女朋友在旁相當著急，他們是來自奧地利的留學生，在高雄讀書，24號凌晨1點多，兩人在愛河邊喝酒，因為覺得高雄天氣熱，一時興起，22歲男大生跳下水消暑，直到警方到場，這才發現自己已經違規。
- 你需要過去警局
- 這可能會有罰則的哦
外國人誤把愛河當成游泳池，警方事後函報市府觀光局裁處，依法開罰5000元以上、2萬5000元以下罰款。
[[前金派出所副所長 簡郡成]]
“依高雄市愛河水域管理自治條例，第13條規定進行裁處”
雖然先前市府規劃「還河於民」政策，但目前也只有部分區域，開放符合規定的非動力浮具，禁止個人任意下水游泳。
[[民眾]]
“不能在愛河游泳，(之前)有溺斃啊，危險”
[[民眾]]
“整治之後是河流有比較乾淨，但也是不太方便吧，就是因為也有這個危險性嘛”
外國人或許不熟規定，不慎觸法遭開罰，荷包失血，忍痛花錢上了一課。
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