So far this year, 40 people have died in drowning accidents compared to 36 people during the same period in 2024. 14 of these drowned in June.
We have a fairly normal situation. We cannot point out that it has increased or decreased, and not in any particular group, says Bertilsson.
The most important thing you can do to reduce the risk is, among other things, to bathe together with someone, avoid alcohol and swim along the beach.
One should not try to reach a goal out in the water because that's when we see that things happen. Something we remind you of every year is that you should have children who are not able to swim at arm's length. It goes so fast when you lose oversight. Now the boating life is also starting and then it's about life jackets.
Generally, certain groups run a greater risk of drowning, according to a study from the National Board of Forensic Medicine and the Swedish Lifesaving Society that was published earlier this year.
The greatest relative risk of drowning is among men between 40 to 69 years old who are traveling by boat. It is also in that group that most of the deceased have been found with alcohol in their bodies.
In the age group 10 to 19 years, the risk of drowning is almost seven times higher among children and young people with non-Swedish origin than among those with Swedish origin.
At the root of it, it's about the fact that there are deficiencies in the school's swimming education. To pass a passing grade in sports and health, you should be able to swim. We clearly see that it is lacking, you get the grade without being able to swim, says Bertilsson.
