Emergency services at a drowning incident in Mallorca

Emergency services at a drowning incident in Santa Ponsa. | MDB

Andrew EdePalma07/01/2023 12:25
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Figures from the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and Lifesaving indicate that 39 people lost their lives due to unintentional drowning in the Balearics in 2022.

Nationally, there were 394 deaths. This was the fifth highest number since 2015; the highest was 481 in 2017. Valencia registered the most drownings in 2022 (67) followed by 63 in the Canaries, 56 in Andalusia, 40 in Catalonia and 39 in both the Balearics and Galicia. The number of deaths in the Balearics was up from 25 in 2021.

The national figures reveal that 315 of the people who drowned last year were men. The age bracket with the highest number was 58 among people aged 65 to 74. Of people aged 75 and over, there were 55 deaths.

The director for prevention and safety at the federation, Francisco Cano, says that "unintentional drowning in aquatic spaces is a problem of the first public health and safety order in Spain". He has restated the need for a national strategy for aquatic safety.