- According to Public Health France, drowning is the leading cause of death by accident in everyday life among people under 25.
- According to the latest available data (2018), 22% of drownings take place not in swimming pools, but in rivers or bodies of water, as evidenced by the recent tragedies in the Rhône and Indre -and-Loire.
- According to Christian Poutriquet, vice-president of the French Rescue and First Aid Federation, the intense heat expected this week and the coronavirus crisis could attract even more people to these bathing places.
A new heat wave is expected this weekend all over France. And with the rise in temperatures, the urge to take a dip is even stronger. But if the goal is obviously to cool off and relax, swimming can be fatal. If one thinks most often of the beach or the swimming pool when evoking drownings, the recent events which have occurred in Indre-et-Loire and in the Rhône remind us that lakes and other rivers are just as dangerous.
According to Public Health France, 1,649 drownings were recorded between June 1 and September 30, 2018 (the latest data available), a quarter of which was fatal. A figure that is increasing every year. And of these, 22% took place in bodies of water or streams. To understand and avoid these accidents, 20 Minutes interviewed Christian Poutriquet, vice-president of the French Federation for Rescue and First Aid.
Several fatal drownings since the beginning of the summer have taken place in lakes, rivers or streams. Are these environments more dangerous than the sea or the swimming pool?
Not directly. What is to be taken into account are the contexts. Most of these accidents took place after swimming outside the developed areas. As at sea, the risks are much lower in these areas authorized by the municipalities, because they take into account criteria such as the strength of the current or the visibility of the water point. These areas are monitored and flags are set up to inform swimmers of the water situation.
In other areas, swimming is permitted at the risk of the swimmers. That is, it is not prohibited, but no surveillance is in place to secure it.
Finally, there are areas where swimming is prohibited due to uncertain conditions. And it is often in these places that incidents occur.
What are these drownings mainly due to?
There are a whole lot of reasons, such as ignorance of the places, insufficient swimming practice. Sometimes it is due to people getting caught in currents and getting exhausted trying to fight instead of letting themselves be carried away. We also note that many accidents take place after a heavy and alcoholic meal… It is quite complex to explain.
And certain new conditions may come into play, such as a heat wave, for example. Quite simply because with the rise in temperatures, people are looking more for freshness and want to bathe. They are then more tempted to swim anywhere.
This trend is accentuated by the coronavirus crisis. With all the constraints, financial and health, people leave less. For example, those who usually go to the seaside for vacation may not be able to go this year. They will then look for the nearest water point. So instead of being on a beach, they can end up in an unsupervised body of water. The risks are greater.
What advice do you give before taking the plunge?
There are of course the basics before any swim, namely wet the neck and gradually enter the water to avoid a thermo-differential shock, the famous hydrocution. This gesture is very important in streams and rivers, particularly in the mountains, where the water often comes from glaciers and melted snow and is therefore very cool. If you start to have doubtful signs such as tingling or stars in your eyes, you must get out of the water as soon as possible to avoid syncope.
Heavy and alcoholic meals should be avoided. On the other hand, we must forget the legend that we have been carrying around for years not being able to bathe for 2 hours after the meal. On the contrary, it is even preferable to bathe immediately after a meal, before digestion begins. The volume of the meal is more important than the time before swimming. You have to pay attention to currents and reliefs underwater.
And finally, the most important: whether swimming is supervised or not, you should never swim alone. Parents should never take their eyes off their children, because lifeguards cannot see everyone at the same time. Before going in the water, we organize ourselves, we appoint a supervisor and everyone is responsible for the one who bathes next to it. For safe swimming, we need solidarity.
Miscellaneous
Hérault: A woman is uneasy in the water and drowns
Paris
Ile de France: A teenager drowns in the Marne, another still missing
The minister in demonstration
As part of her “Aquatic ease plan”, Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister for Sport, will be present in Antibes this Friday. She will participate, with other personalities, including Alain Bernard, the two-time Olympic swimming champion, in a rescue demonstration for firefighters.
- Society
- Drowning
- Swimming
- Alcohol
- Beach
- Sea
- Summer holidays