Almost 600 drownings, including nearly a third fatal, have occurred in France since the beginning of June, Public Health France said on Friday, reiterating its calls for prevention. “The number of drownings and deaths remains high” over these nine weeks, according to this new report from the health agency.
From June 1 to August 2, however, the number of drownings (598) fell by 17% compared to the same period in 2022 and by 25% compared to 2021. Nearly a third of drownings have been followed by death since at the beginning of June, a globally stable proportion compared to 2021, the year of comparison put forward by the health agency.
Occitania and New Aquitaine at the top of the risk areas
“Drownings are fewer but more fatal”: less than a quarter of drownings were followed by death in 2021, three out of 10 drownings in 2023, the agency summarized. It is among adults that fatal drownings have been the most numerous so far, a minority of children under the age of six being victims. Since the beginning of June, the two regions where the most drownings have occurred are Occitanie and New Aquitaine, with Brittany being the region with the highest proportion of drownings followed by deaths.
In France, drownings are responsible each year for around 1,000 deaths (including around 400 in summer). Active and permanent supervision of young children, learning to swim as early as possible, choice of secure areas, vigilance in the face of the weather are among the prevention recommendations.