In France, drowning is a major public health issue, as it accounts for more than 500 accidental deaths each year and can sometimes result in serious long-term effects. Among children aged 1 to 14, it is the second leading cause of accidental death. The NOYADES 2006 survey was conducted between June and September 2006 by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance and the Ministry of the Interior, Homeland Security, and Local Freedoms (Directorate of Civil Defense and Security). This survey recorded all drowning victims, whether accidental or not, resulting in hospitalization or death. The survey recorded 1,207 accidental drownings, including 401 deaths (33%). Children under 6 years of age accounted for 15% of accidental drownings (178 drownings, including 38 resulting in death). People over 45 years of age accounted for 44% of accidental drownings (528) and accounted for 59% of deaths (233). The victims were male in 65% of cases. The breakdown by drowning location was as follows: 166 in private pools (including 55 deaths), 45 in public pools (including 5 deaths), 152 in rivers (including 99 deaths), 122 in lakes (including 74 deaths), 680 in the sea (including 151 deaths), and 42 in other locations (including 17 deaths). More than half of the victims were French or foreign tourists (42% French tourists and 9% foreign tourists). The demographic characteristics of the victims and the circumstances of the drownings varied by location. In private or public swimming pools and in other locations, children under 6 years of age often drowned because they slipped away from their parents’ supervision. Not knowing how to swim contributed to the occurrence of drownings. In rivers and bodies of water, adults were frequently found to have suffered a medical emergency, a fall, an incident related to alcohol consumption, or to have been engaged in solitary (e.g., fishing) or dangerous activities. At sea, the majority of victims were tourists over the age of 45, and health issues were frequently reported. Three regions accounted for 42% of drownings and nearly one-third of deaths: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (15% of drownings and 13% of deaths), Aquitaine (15% of drownings and 8% of deaths), and Languedoc-Roussillon (12% of drownings and 9% of deaths). The other most affected regions were the following: Brittany, Pays-de-la-Loire, Rhône-Alpes, Poitou-Charentes, and Île-de-France. The number of accidental drownings in 2006 remained close to that of previous years. The number of deaths of children under 6 in private pools has remained roughly stable (about 20 per year, 21 in 2006) despite the very significant increase in the number of private pools (which has increased by a factor of 1.5 over the past 5 years). Weather conditions helped explain the daily distribution of accidental drownings during the summer of 2006. Accidental drownings are likely more frequent when maximum temperatures rise. A case-by-case analysis suggests, without proving it, that the presence of safety measures around private pools may have helped prevent some drowning deaths among children. The results of this study reinforce prevention messages such as close supervision of young children, learning to swim starting at age 6, swimming in supervised areas, not overestimating one’s physical abilities, and staying informed about sea conditions and weather. (R.A.)