Adventurer and survival legend has died

Rüdiger Nehberg is dead. The well-known adventurer died at the age of 84, as the target association he founded announced on his website. "Rüdiger Nehberg is dead. We mourn," reads there. Nehberg had caused a sensation for years with his expeditions and spectacular actions. This included two crossings of the Atlantic Ocean on a raft and a pedal boat and the first crossing of the Blue Nile in Africa.

From 1951, Nehberg started cycling halfway around the world, and since the 1960s he has dealt with survival training and survival practices. In 1965 he settled anyway and worked for 25 years as an independent confectioner in Hamburg. In 1981 he drew attention to himself with a "Germany March" from Hamburg to Oberstdorf (around 1000 kilometers). The 23-day campaign was accompanied by ZDF in a documentary. He also used his ventures in distant countries to draw attention to social problems such as female genital mutilation. To this end, he founded the human rights organization "Target" in 2000. Nehberg also made his adventures on the subject of numerous books. On April 6, his autobiography "Courage is no match: an adventurous life".

Nehberg's friend and companion Klaus Denart (77) told the "Bild" newspaper: "It is a shock for me. We were very good friends. We complemented each other very well on our travels. There was never competition, it was a deep friendship arise. " The exact cause of death is not yet known. According to Denart, Nehberg had several heart operations. In the end, that was the topic again. Nehberg lived until the end in Rausdorf in Schleswig-Holstein.