The bodies of an elderly German couple, both believed to be over 80 years old, were discovered near a pond at the Posterbos holiday park in Posterholt, southeastern Netherlands, on Thursday, February 19, 2026, in what authorities are treating as a suspected double suicide.
Emergency services were alerted shortly before 2:30 p.m. local time and arrived to find one body in the water and the other at the water’s edge. Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported that police and forensic teams quickly secured the scene and began an investigation.
Regional police later searched the couple’s residence at the park and concluded that no foul play was involved. The case is being treated as a non-suspicious death, with suicide as the leading hypothesis pending autopsy and toxicology results.
Local broadcaster L1 Nieuws identified the victims as a long-term German couple who had reportedly lived at Posterbos for decades. The park, located in the municipality of Roerdalen near the city of Roermond, is designated for recreational and holiday use only; Dutch law prohibits permanent residence in holiday accommodations.
Roerdalen Mayor Monique de Boer-Van Agtmaal confirmed that the municipality had placed the couple under a formal “care process” due to their unauthorized permanent residency. She described recent interactions as positive, noting that municipal officials had been in contact with the pair approximately ten days before the incident.
“They were in need of help and were open to the assistance we offered,” the mayor stated in a televised interview. She acknowledged that the municipality had been enforcing its policy on holiday-park residency more strictly in recent months but stressed that it remains unclear whether the couple’s situation contributed to their decision.
“We will likely never know for certain if there is any link between the suspected suicide and our enforcement policy,” she added.
Roerdalen authorities have intensified monitoring of holiday parks across the municipality in recent years, warning residents that permanent stays violate zoning regulations. Those found in breach face fines of up to €30,000 (approximately $35,000) and possible eviction or demolition orders for non-compliant structures. The policy aims to preserve the recreational character of the parks and prevent them from becoming de facto residential areas.
The Posterbos park, popular among Dutch and German holidaymakers for its lakeside location and quiet setting, has been subject to similar enforcement actions in the past. Local officials said the couple had been informed multiple times of the residency rules and offered assistance in finding alternative housing.
The discovery has renewed debate in the Netherlands over the treatment of elderly residents in holiday parks, many of whom are German nationals who purchased or rented chalets decades ago and later chose to live there year-round due to affordability or personal circumstances. Advocacy groups for senior citizens have long criticized strict enforcement as insensitive to vulnerable populations, while municipalities argue that unregulated permanent residency strains local services and undermines planning laws.
Police have not released the names of the deceased, citing privacy considerations and respect for the family. Next of kin have been notified, and the German consulate in the Netherlands is providing consular support.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities awaiting final autopsy results to formally confirm the cause and manner of death. Emergency services have concluded on-site operations, and the pond area has been reopened to the public.
The incident has cast a somber light on the Posterbos community, where neighbors described the couple as quiet, long-standing residents who had become fixtures in the park’s social life.
This case underscores broader challenges facing Dutch municipalities in balancing regulatory enforcement with compassionate support for aging populations living in non-residential accommodations.
