A total of 56 people have tragically drowned on beaches, in coastal areas, and in aquatic facilities across the Canary Islands from January to October 2024, marking a 7% decrease compared to the same period in 2023, when 60 drowning fatalities were recorded. This data was reported by the Association for the Prevention of Accidents in the Aquatic Environment Canarias, 1500 Km de Costa, an organisation dedicated to monitoring and reducing accidents in aquatic environments.
The breakdown of drowning locations reveals that beaches accounted for the majority, with 52% of deaths. Ports and other coastal zones contributed to 23%, swimming pools to 16%, and natural pools and lagoons to 9%. In October alone, twelve incidents were reported across beaches, pools, and coastal regions of the archipelago. Of these, five resulted in fatalities, two were classified as serious, two as moderate, one as minor, and two people were rescued unharmed.
In the first ten months of 2024, a total of 155 individuals were involved in aquatic accidents in the Canary Islands, marking a 20% reduction from the 194 incidents reported during the same timeframe in 2023. Among the 56 fatal drownings, seven victims were left in critical condition, fifteen were seriously injured, forty-six suffered moderate injuries, thirteen incurred minor injuries, and eighteen were rescued without harm.
The statistics reveal that 63% of those who lost their lives were foreign nationals. The nationalities of the deceased include three from Germany, one from the UK, one from France, one from the USA, one from China, one from the Czech Republic, one from Morocco, six from Spain, and one unspecified foreign national, with an additional 40 individuals whose nationality remains unconfirmed.
Further classification shows that 70% of the deceased were recreational bathers (39 individuals), while 14% (8 individuals) fell into other categories. Divers accounted for 9% (5 individuals), fishermen for 5% (3 individuals), and water sports enthusiasts for 2% (1 individual).
By island, Tenerife recorded the highest number of fatalities with 19 drownings, followed by Gran Canaria with 14, Fuerteventura with 10, Lanzarote with 8, La Palma with 3, and La Gomera with 2 deaths. This report underlines the critical importance of water safety measures and awareness in the Canary Islands to prevent further tragedies in the future.
