- Polish bathing season with many drownings
In Poland, authorities are raising the alarm over a swimming season with unusually many drowning deaths. As of Sunday, the national emergency response center in Warsaw had recorded 211 water fatalities since April. By the end of July, there were 24 more drowning deaths than at the same time last year, according to Katarzyna Nowak, spokesperson for the Warsaw police headquarters. "Each case is a tragedy," she told the PAP news agency.
More people drown in Poland than in Germany. In 2023, there have been at least 450 drowning deaths in Germany's neighboring country, compared to at least 378 in Germany, according to the German Life-Saving Association (DLRG). Despite having only about half of Germany's population, Poland has 38 million inhabitants.
Warm summer weather draws Poles to the Baltic coast, rivers, and lakes. "High temperatures and sunny weather create ideal conditions for spending leisure time by the water," says a public awareness video from the Polish police. "However, there are still irresponsible beachgoers. Alcohol, overconfidence, and recklessness are the main causes, often with tragic consequences."
"Children are the best swimmers"
The typical Polish victim of a water fatality is male and over 50 years old. The proportion of the 50+ generation among the deceased has been increasing in recent years and accounted for half of the cases in 2023. "We drown because, although Poles can swim a bit better today, the general level is still low," the weekly "Polityka" analyzed some time ago. "The best swimmers today are children." Indeed, the number of drowned children and youth has decreased over the years, thanks to the construction of swimming pools and mandatory swimming lessons.
Alcohol or drugs are involved in every fourth fatal water accident, according to police statistics. However, the number of drowning deaths has also decreased in Poland over the long term. Nevertheless, the risk remains in the upper middle range among European countries, with Germany being one of the safest. The DLRG plans to present an interim report on the German swimming season on the coming Thursday (8.8.) in Düsseldorf.
The bathing season in Poland has seen an alarming number of drowning deaths, with 211 fatalities reported since April by the national emergency response center. Despite the increase in drowning incidents compared to the previous year, the Bathing season continues to attract more people to the Baltic coast, rivers, and lakes.
