The summer season 2025 turns red on the drowning front. The figures published by Public Health France draw up an alarming observation: between June 1 and July 2, 429 drownings were recorded in France, including 109 deadly. It is almost double accidents ( +95 %) and an increase of +58 % of deaths compared to the same period in 2024.
The situation has not improved since then. The last assessment, communicated on August 1, reports 702 NOYADES, including 193 deaths Since the start of the summer. Compared to last year, this represents +50 % accidents and +45 % of deadly drowning.
Children, first victims
It is the youngest who pay the heaviest price. Accidents increased by +155 % among 0-5 year olds and +153 % among 6-12 year olds. Deaths among minors have more than doubled, from 8 in 2024 to 19 this year. The majority of dramas occur in non-monitored water and rivers, real invisible traps: among 13-17 year olds, 78 % of fatal drownings took place in these environments, compared to only 22 % at sea.
The heat wave, aggravating factor
The exceptional heat wave that struck France in June and July prompted many bathers to seek freshness, sometimes in dangerous conditions. The French federation of lifeguards (FFMNS) points out the weather as a risk accelerator: intense heat, combined with improvised swimming in unsecured areas, has increased accidents tenfold. Guest of Franceinfo on August 11, Axel Lamotte, member of the FFMNS steering committee, did not chew his words: ” More than 5,000 lifeguards have been missing for twenty years, and the public authorities have still not reacted. We are going to get people once they have drowned. It has a huge cost in terms of lives and social security level. »
For him, the answer must go through a national emergency plan: free swimming for swimming for all and accelerated training for new rescuers.
Invisible dangers of natural waters
The statistics are formal: rivers, lakes and water retained remain the deadliest. These environments, often devoid of surveillance, hide invisible traps such as currents, irregular funds or depth variations. “” We saw the figures flying off in the Grand Est, Burgundy-Franche-Comté or in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes “, Warnings Axel Lamotte, which also recalls the importance of gradually entering water. “” Even if he is very hot and we want to throw ourselves in the water, we hold back and take our time. We get wet the body, the nape, the face … Otherwise, we risk an immediate cardiac arrest by thermal shock He explains on Franceinfo.
Prevent to save
To reverse the trend, the FFMNS multiplies initiatives: national drowning prevention days (JNPN), operations “my school, my city, my club” or “I swim therefore I save”, and training in gestures that save (BNSSA, BPJEPS AAN). The objective: to train massively and to raise awareness from an early age.
The message is clear: never leave an unattended child, favor framed areas, avoid swimming after a generous meal or alcohol consumption, and never swim alone.
