Key Points

• Between July 16 and August 15, 2024, 576 drowning deaths were recorded, representing a 41% increase compared to the same period in 2023, likely due to successive periods of extreme heat, which created very favorable swimming conditions1. For these two two-week periods, there were 146 drowning incidents resulting in death in 2024, compared to 109 in 2023 (+34%).

• For the entire period between June 1 and August 21, 2024, 983 drownings occurred in France, 268 of which resulted in death (representing a 27% proportion of drownings resulting in death). These figures are stable compared to those from 2023.

• Since the start of the 2024 monitoring period, 52% of drownings involved adults, 32% involved children under 6, and 16% involved those aged 6–17. The proportion of drownings resulting in death is higher among adults (46% vs. 6% among children under 6; 9 out of 10 drownings resulting in death involved adults). Drowning deaths in rivers and other bodies of water accounted for half of all drowning deaths across all age groups; for other locations, drowning deaths among minors occurred more frequently in private pools, while among adults they occurred more frequently at sea (approximately one-third of deaths for these two age groups).

• The number of drownings and deaths remains high during this period. Drownings affect all age groups and occur in all types of locations. These findings underscore the need to continue drowning prevention efforts for all age groups, particularly during periods of extreme heat and as long as swimming conditions remain favorable.