A total of 36 minors have died in swimming pools, beaches and rivers, 33% more than all of 2019 and the highest number in the last seven years, according to the official report on the drowning of minors in aquatic spaces.
The report, prepared by the Abrisud de L’Hospitalet de Llobregat company, specifies that almost half of the deaths – in total 26 boys and 10 girls – took place in swimming pools (47.22%), 88.24% of them domestic pools; 19% on beaches; 11% in rivers; another 11% in reservoirs or swamps and the remaining 12% in different locations, such as water parks or the high seas.
According to the report, the most child drowning occurred in the Valencian Community with eight deaths, followed by Catalonia with six, Andalusia with four and Madrid with three.
The worst month was August, with ten drownings of minors, while the report indicates that there were a further 33 non-fatal drownings that required hospitalization; as well as 13 rescues that needed medical supervision; and 110 rescues without further consequences.
The authors of the report were keen to highlight that “neither the decline in tourism nor the confinement that occurred in Spain have managed to reduce the upward trend that has been recorded since 2016.”
The report highlights that the most common profile of minors who die by drowning is a child, between 2 and 4 years old, who dies in an unsupervised space or due to carelessness in adult supervision.
This year, 16 children aged 4 or under died by drowning. Four of the drownings were children between 5 and 8 years old and another four were aged between 9 to 12 years, while twelve of the deceased were adolescents.
According to the report, a large proportion of the drownings occurred in the evening, with 20 fatal accidents occurring between 5.00pm and 9.00pm, while 13 occurred between 1.00pm and 5.00pm. Two took place early in the day (9am to 1pm) and one, at dawn.
In the last 7 years, 243 minors have died in aquatic spaces in Spain, 180 boys and 63 girls, 63% of them during the summer period (May-September).