Canary Islands register 31 deaths by drowning in the first half of 2024
A tragic semester in the Canary Islands has seen 31 drowning deaths in the first six months of the year, just one less than the same period in 2023, as reported by the organization 'Canarias, 1,500 km de costa' this Monday.
In addition to the 31 drownings, one swimmer is possibly still missing at sea in Arinaga (Gran Canaria). In the first half of this year, six people were in critical condition, nine sustained serious injuries, 19 had moderate injuries, and 10 had minor injuries. There were also 12 rescues without injury.
The organization 'Canarias, 1,500 km de costa' reported that in June, 13 people were involved in aquatic accidents, resulting in seven drowning deaths. One swimmer remains possibly missing after entering the water at Arinaga Beach (Gran Canaria) on June 23.
Among the identified victims, five were Spanish, three were German, one was British, one American, one Chinese, one Czech, one Moroccan, and the rest were of unknown nationality. Of those who lost their lives, 52% were adults (16 individuals), with 26% (8 individuals) over 60 years old. The age of 16% (5 individuals) is unknown, and 6% (2 individuals) were minors.
A total of seven minors were involved in incidents in aquatic spaces in the Canary Islands in the first half of 2024.
Of the fatalities, 87% were male (27 individuals) and 13% were female (4 individuals). By activity, 68% of the deceased were swimmers (21 individuals), 9% were fishermen (3 individuals), 10% were divers (3 individuals), and 3% were water sports participants (1 individual).
By island, there were nine deaths in Gran Canaria, eight in Tenerife, six in Fuerteventura, four in Lanzarote, three in La Palma, and one in La Gomera. Beaches were the most common locations for these accidents (53%), followed by ports and coastal areas (30%), natural pools (11%), and swimming pools (6%). Most of the deaths occurred in the afternoon (74%), with 20% in the morning, 3% at night, and 3% at unspecified times.
