Summer 2023 Drowning Report: Less Frequent Drownings but More Often Fatal

 

The general report announces a decrease in rescue interventions during this year 2023 but an increase in mortality.

Indeed, the figures seem to show an improvement but in reality, the problem is worsening. 

500 child drownings every summer

In France, accidental drownings are responsible for approximately 1000 deaths each year, half of which occur during the summer. 500 children are victims, of which 10% die. Children under 6 years old account for a quarter of accidental drownings. Most of these accidents occur in private family pools. Learning to swim from a young age is essential to prevent these tragedies. Discover the key steps of the swimming learning cycle.

As of June 2023, 84 drownings followed by deaths have been reported. A stable number compared to previous years but they have been more often fatal.

These serious results show the necessity to relentlessly continue prevention on the risk of drownings in private swimming.

Each year, the first summer report on drownings is published on the last school day to ensure that as much information and prevention advice is disseminated at the time of family holiday departures.

Most accidental drownings can be avoided with simple preventive measures, and/or appropriate equipment.

 

Mostly avoidable drownings 

Authorities explain that these tragic accidents can happen to anyone and that most of these drownings are avoidable. Therefore, it is important to emphasize the importance of constant and close supervision of children during swimming. 

Simple actions to adopt: 

• Familiarize children with aquatic ease as early as possible and  teach them to swim as soon as possible
• Constantly supervise children , always stay close to them when they play at the water's edge and swim with them when they are in the water
• Be very vigilant during swims in "above-ground" pools (not buried) that cannot be secured
• Make children wear a safety device such as the Floating swimsuit Plouf.

 

"It takes just a few seconds for a child to drown. No safety device replaces your vigilance. You care about them, don’t take your eyes off them," concludes the government. 

 

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Life-saving gestures

Several gestures to know ensure the safety of victims in case of drowning.

•  Get the victim out of the water to help them regain consciousness.

• Do not put yourself in danger to avoid worsening the situation

• Call for help : firefighters (18), Samu (15) or the European emergency call number (112). 
• Practice first aid gestures if you know them : lay the victim in the lateral safety position (P.L.S) and talk to them. Check their breathing and state of consciousness. If they do not seem to be breathing properly or do not respond, perform cardiac massage or mouth-to-mouth.

Get trained, lives are at stake.

 

To avoid the worst

At the end of July, a six-year-old child was found unconscious in a campsite pool, late in the afternoon. The campsite's lifeguard team quickly performed first aid gestures before the arrival of the firefighters. In a serious condition, he was airlifted to Perpignan hospital. He died shortly after arriving. Four lifeguard rescuers worked permanently to monitor this area but their vigilance was not enough.

In Lacanau, a mother died during a family swim at the seaside while trying to save her child from drowning. The rescuers managed to recover and save the child but the mother did not survive. Here again, multiple surveillance was not enough to prevent the tragedy.

Equipping children helps prevent these serious and fatal accidents. As for vigilance against child drownings, no precaution is dispensable because they are all mandatory.

 

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