Summer drowning toll rises to 88
Police appeal for more lifeguards as 14 people die in three days
THE DEATH toll from drowning this summer has risen to 88.
Around the country 14 people have died in the past three days.
A spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, Pierre-Henry Brandet, called for ‘prudence’.
“Security warnings, notably swimming bans, should be respected,” he said, adding: “The sea can be particularly dangerous.”
In fact, of the 88 deaths this summer, only 34 have taken place by the sea, the rest occurring in rivers or lakes.
The Hérault has seen the worst figure for a single incident, where seven men died on July 28 while swimming during high winds when red and orange warning flags were flying. Ten people have died there in the last month.
A total of 497 people last year drowned in France between June 1 and September 30 according to the Institut de veille sanitaire.
The police union Alliance said they lacked the necessary resources for lifeguards adding: “These incidents are not explained solely by the carelessness of the general public.”
The union claims that in 2002, 720 CRS lifeguards were employed over three months, while this year the number has dropped to 471 for just two months.
According to Inpes, the national institute for health education, one in five French people cannot swim.
Photo: flickr/Ludo29880
