ARCHIVED - Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in Spain

In 2020, 406 people drowned in the Spanish sea, rivers and swimming pools

Each year safety awareness campaigns are launched across Spain to prevent drownings, but annual fatalities in the sea, rivers and pools continue to rise.

In fact, drowning was the third leading cause of death due to external or accidental causes in 2020, particularly amongst younger age groups.

The latest data from National Statistics Institute (INE), released on Monday July 25, on the occasion of World Drowning Prevention Day, shows that 406 people died from drowning in Spain in 2020 (334 men and 72 women) and 461 people were hospitalised in near-drowning incidents.

In addition to fatal submersion, every year there are cases of head injuries and spinal injuries, generally caused by "imprudence" such as jumping into water from rooves or cliffs, not checking the depth of the water or, in the case of swimming pools, diving too close to the edge.

In the same year, 61 people were hospitalised as a result of injuries caused by jumping or diving headfirst into the water, excluding accidental falls, and eight people were admitted to hospital with spinal cord injuries.

According to data provided by the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation and the Professional Association of Physiotherapists of the Community of Madrid (CPFCM) in July, around 6% of spinal cord injuries are caused by reckless diving.

Not surprisingly, the majority of injuries are amongst people under 30 and during the summer months of July and August.

Also read: Life-saving drone speeds up critical response times at Alicante beaches, Spain

The exorbitant number of drownings and near-drownings is mainly due to "risky behaviour", warns Spain's Ministry of Health, which it claims tends to occur "during times of relaxation in the supervision of minors, bathing in unsupervised areas or the consumption of alcohol and other drugs near or in the water".

But it's not solely down to human error. A significant number of aquatic accidents are related to certain medical conditions such as epilepsy.

"Tourists unfamiliar local waters and their risks are also often involved in such accidents. Generally speaking, these accidents are more frequent in males and it is important to pay special attention to minors and the elderly,"  said the Ministry of Health, adding that drownings occur "quickly and silently", and in the majority of cases the victim has been out of sight for less than five minutes.

With the summer season already in full flow, Spain is once again warning that the "vast majority drownings are preventable", and, amongst other recommendations, is advising adults to "keep an eye on children at all times" when they are in the water or playing near it, and to "never leave a baby or young child alone at any time in a bath or inflatable pool".

Bathers should make sure communal pools and beaches have a lifeguard before entering the water; refrain from running along the edge of pools or pushing others in; and remember that alcohol consumption reduces the ability to react to danger and can lead to risky behaviour.

Now read: Elderly woman dies after being pulled unconscious from the sea in San Javier, Murcia

Image: Ayuntamiento de San Lorenzo