Sea, lake, swimming pools… what are the right actions to take in the event of drowning during this summer period ?

Children, adults or seniors: no one is spared when drowning. At sea, in a lake, in a pond or even a swimming pool at home, you have to know how to react with the right reflexes when faced with this kind of situation.

During this holiday period, many people want to swim and cool off while the sun shines on France. But be careful, accidents multiply during the summer season and drownings become frequent.

If you see a person in difficulty, here are the right actions to take:

If you are in a supervised area, do not waste a moment and immediately alert the lifeguards. Dial 15 (the emergency services), 18 (the fire brigade) or 112 (the emergency number in European Union countries). If you manage to get the victim out of the water before help arrives, warm their body up to return it to a normal temperature. All this while covering them with a towel or clothes. If the victim is breathing, place them in the lateral safety position (PLS). Cardiac massage should be performed if they are no longer breathing while waiting for help to arrive.

As a reminder, it is important to swim in supervised areas where swimming is authorized by the presence of a green flag is mandatory on the coasts. Secondly, it is imperative to bathe at the same time as children and to always have them under supervision when they are near water.

Some figures

In 2024, 59% of drownings will concern adults, 25% for children under 6 and 16% for children aged 6 to 17, as indicated by Santé publique France. Several episodes of this type have taken place in recent weeks, such as the one with a little boy who died in a spa.

The ARS recorded 1,336 drownings in 2023, including 361 deaths on French territory.“Parents rely too much on wearing armbands, even though this in no way protects a child from drowning, explains Mathias, a lifeguard and awareness-raiser for the event. The only solution is to constantly monitor their children!”.

The ARS also reminds us that it only takes 20 cm of water for a child to drown in a few minutes. Given the risk of drowning, simple actions must be taken.