Well-known athlete and coach drowns in Baltic Sea after festival in Nida

Lithuania was shaken on Sunday afternoon by the death of Motiejus Lisauskas, a 30-year-old extreme sports coach and former professional athlete, who drowned in the Baltic Sea in Nida after visiting the Anna Festival, according to Lithuanian media.

Lisauskas was known for his achievements in skiing. In 2017 he won the Red Bull Risk and Slysk skiing competition, and in 2022 he won an event in Estonia. He regularly competed in Lithuanian championships. In recent years he actively promoted wakeboarding and snowboarding and worked as a coach. He also founded the sports community 7AM Club and was involved in various athletes’ initiatives.

After the tragedy, friends and the wakeboarding community shared condolences on social media. The Lithuanian portal Žmonės.lt reported that at 9 p.m. on Sunday friends gathered on the northern beach in Nida near Kupolas to wait for sunrise together and honour his memory. The organisers of the Anna Festival responded as well, saying they had never imagined experiencing something so painful. They offered their deepest condolences to the victim’s relatives and everyone who knew him. Although the accident happened after the festival had ended, the organisers said they were cooperating with all responsible services to clarify the circumstances as quickly as possible; the event planned for that day was cancelled as a mark of respect.

According to Klaipėda County police representative Asta Kažukauskienė, the call was received at around 1.48 p.m., as she confirmed to BNS. Rescuers pulled the man from the water and attempted to revive him, but his life could not be saved. Later it was confirmed that the victim was 30-year-old Motiejus Lisauskas.

Although the Baltic Sea is often considered relatively calm, several dozen people lose their lives in it every summer. Rescuers warn that the main dangers are strong underwater currents, waves, cold water and overestimating one’s own abilities. In Latvia, about 80–120 people drown every year, though only some of these cases occur in the Baltic Sea; the rest happen in rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. Latvia still has one of the highest drowning mortality rates in the EU.