Some 193 Death by drowning have been identified between June 1 and July 23 in France and overseas, announced public health France this Friday, August 1, 2025, noting that high temperatures have “Broken a influx of the populations to the swimming sites to refresh themselves”.
This represents a bond the 45% Compared to the same period last year, when 133 dead had been recorded, details the health agency.
Adolescents strongly affected
If this increase in deadly drownings concerned all the age groups, adolescents are strongly affected: 27 children and adolescents lost their lives In 2025 against 15 in 2024, and 30% of drowned young people (13 to 17 years old) died, against 13% over the same period last year.
In addition, from June 1 to July 23, observes the health agency, the number of drowns of minors followed by death in rivers has been multiplied by almost four: there are 15 against four in 2024.
The sea more deadly than swimming pools
Overall, the drownings followed by death were first recorded at sea (79), in front of the rivers (58), the water bodies (30) and the private pools (24).
Thus, the risk of drowning during swimming in a natural environment, watercourse, body or sea, when the sites are neither arranged nor monitored “is real and Increased in case of alcohol consumption“recalls SPF. “The regulations, in particular swimming prohibitions, must be respected whatever the age”, insists the health agency.
Increased vigilance during heat waves
These figures confirm in particular the disturbing very strong increase in drowning during the only days of heat wave, pointed at July 11 by SPF in its previous point: from June 19 to July 6, 86 deaths by drowning were recorded against 36 over the same days of 2024, that is to say much more than double.
During this long -up and long heat wave, maximum temperatures exceeded 35 ° C on a large part of the territory, while on the rest of July, high temperatures and rainy passages alternated.
Almost half (47%) of the fatal drownings that occurred since June 1 have taken place in four regions: Provence Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
