July is the month when the most people die from drowning accidents. A common reason why older people drown is that they do not wear a life jacket when they are out on a boat, and alcohol is often involved.
Another reason is that people overestimate their swimming ability. Swimming is a skill you learn, but many who learned to swim at school assume that it is innate, and it is not that simple, says Louise Brädde, an expert at the Lifesaving Society.
One of her pieces of advice is therefore to test your swimming skills and wear a life jacket. Another is to always swim with someone.
The Swedish Lifesaving Society's statistics for 2025 show that 80 percent of the 103 people who drowned during the year were men. The vast majority - 52 of 103 cases - were people who were 60 years of age or older.
The statistics also include some cases of illness where it is difficult to determine cause and effect. For example, if someone suffers a cardiac arrest while swimming, it is counted as drowning even if the cardiac arrest is the actual cause of death.
During the first half of this year, 22 people have died in drowning accidents, compared to 40 people during the same period last year.
