A total of 24 people died by drowning in the Canary Islands from January to May 2025, including three minors. Two of these people drowned in swimming pools, victims of invisible drowning syndrome, which are bathers who are in the environment of the affected person and look at them but are not aware that they are suffering a drowning. This term was coined by the expert disseminator in aquatic prevention and safety and president of Canarias, 1500 Km de Costa, Sebastián Quintana.
At least in the last ten years, this number of drowning deaths involving minors had not been recorded in just five months. Last 2024, the aquatic spaces of the Islands claimed the lives of two minors. In 2023, one minor lost his life in the water, in our autonomous community. In 2022, two minors died from this cause in the Archipelago. In 2021, 3 minors died. In 2020, no fatalities were recorded. The result, 11 boys and girls died from submersion in these last 6 years.
This statistical analysis is prepared by the Association for the Prevention of Accidents in the Aquatic Environment Canarias, 1500 Km de Costa, based on data obtained from official sources related to the field of Emergencies, mainly 112 Canarias, Civil Guard, National Police, Maritime Rescue, Firefighters and Civil Protection. An initiative sponsored by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Elder Museum of Science and Technology, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Departments of Tourism and Sea City of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council and Binter.
124 minors affected by aquatic accidents in 6 years
Since last year 2020, a total of 124 people have been affected by accidents in Canarian aquatic spaces.
In addition to the deaths (11), 5 were assisted in critical condition; 20 were seriously injured; 29 were moderately injured; 17 slightly injured and 42 rescued unharmed.
The children affected in this period were of up to 8 different nationalities: (5) Germans, (2) Poles, (2) French, (2) British, (1) Italian, (1) Moroccan, (1) Saharawi and (1) foreigner without specifying nationality; (9) Spaniards and a hundred of them of unknown nationality.
By sex, 75 were male, 28 female and 21 of unspecified sex.
By environment, (40) of these accidents occurred on beaches; (35) in rocky coastal areas, docks...etc; (31) in swimming pools; (16) in natural pools; (1) in a water channel in a rural area and (1) in the bathtub of his home.
The Association for Preventing Drowning insists that 90% of aquatic accidents involving minors are caused by a common factor: lack of supervision by the adults responsible for their care. The recommendation is to get into the water ALWAYS with them.
59 total affected so far this year
In total, 24 people drowned on the coasts and aquatic facilities of the Canary Islands is the balance of these first five months of the year, equaling the figure for the same period of last 2024 (24).
In May, a total of 10 people were affected: 5 fatalities, (1) bather in serious condition and 4 rescued unharmed.
To the (24) deaths, so far this year are added (4) bathers in critical condition; (4) serious, (15) of moderate character; (6) mild and (6) people rescued unharmed: a total of 58 people affected.
The monthly average of drowning deaths in the Canary Islands remains at 5 people/month.
By age, 33% of the deceased (8) were over 60 years old; 29% were adult bathers (7). 25% corresponds to 6 bathers of unknown age. The remaining 13% to the (3) minors.
By nationality, 8 of the identified deceased were foreigners: Polish (2); Italian (1) British (2); foreigners without specified nationality (3); Spanish (2) and victims of unknown nationality (14).
75% of deaths in the water were caused by men (18). 25% by women (6).
According to the activity they were carrying out, 63% of those drowned were bathers (15); 21%, (5) victims without specified activity; 12%, (3) fishermen. The remaining 4% corresponds to (1) deceased classified as others (people who accidentally fall into the water from a dock, a cliff, a promenade or athletes such as paragliders, pilots, crew members...etc)
Tenerife, the Island with the most deaths in this period: 9 people; Gran Canaria, (8); Lanzarote, La Palma and La Gomera (2 c/u). Fuerteventura (1); El Hierro and La Graciosa have not registered deaths.
The beaches remain the environment with the highest accident rate, with 42% of the cases; natural pools (29%); ports and coastal areas (22%); and to a lesser extent, swimming pools (7%).
71% of deaths by submersion occurred in the afternoon; 17% in the morning; 12% were recorded without specified time.
