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Bathers over 60 high risk
STATISTICS for Spain this year have shown that cases of drowning have skyrocketed among 60yearolds. According to the Ministry of Health, drowning in the water is more common from the age of 60 onwards. More than 35 per cent of those who die from drowning are people over 65, according to a news source on Thursday, July 27.
From January to June this year, 169 people died in Spain from drowning. The age group with the most victims was 65 to 74 years old, with 34 deaths, followed by 55 to 64, with 31.
Data from the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and Lifesaving report ed that June 2023 was the second month with the most drownings since 2015, with a total of 57 deaths.
Francisco Cano, director of Prevention and Safety at the Royal Spanish Lifeguard and Rescue Federation indicated there are several reasons for this.
The elderly are the ones who spend the most time on the beach, so they are more exposed to the dangers. “They go to the beach very early in the morning and then also in the afternoon, when the lifeguard service finishes, which is used to remind them of the different regulations,” said Cano.
“Moreover, this is the group of people who pay the least attention to the rules, some don’t like to be told what to do, and many of them carry out activities in the water alone,” he added.
It is very important that the elderly always swim accompanied and in places where the lifeguard service can see them. The fact a person can swim does not mean they cannot drown.
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