Thursday, early in the afternoon, a 6-year-old child drowned in a swimming pool at a campsite in Saint-Germain-sur-Ay, near Coutances in Manche, reports France 3. “It looks like an unfortunate accident,” said Gauthier Poupeau, public prosecutor of Coutance, interviewed by local television, specifying that an investigation had been opened.
Originally from Calvados, in Normandy, the little boy had come to spend vacations with his family. Arriving quickly on the scene, the firefighters were unable to do anything to resuscitate the victim.
Accidental drownings, around 1,000 deaths per year
Every summer season, the French authorities remind us of the danger of water. Every year, accidental drownings represent around 1,000 deaths, according to Public Health France. Not always comfortable in the water, children are unfortunately the first victims of this phenomenon.
Drowning remains the leading cause of death from everyday accidents among those under 25, recalls the public agency. And the arrival of sunny days, when many French people cool off in the sea, ocean, lakes or swimming pools, is a particularly risky period.