A young man drowned on Wednesday in a pool at a resort in the municipality of Mira, Coimbra district. This incident is one of several that have occurred this year, prompting APSI and GNR to reinforce warnings about safety measures.
The Associação para a Promoção da Segurança Infantil reported on drowning statistics in Portugal, noting that while the number of deaths and hospitalizations of children and young people due to drowning has decreased over the decades, from 2020 to 2023, the average number of drowning deaths per year increased, with 10 deaths recorded this year alone up to 19 years old.
“In the past 4 years for which official data is available, 19 children aged up to 4 years, 4 between 5 and 9 years, 8 adolescents between 10 and 14, and 24 young people between 15 and 19 died from drowning,” according to the report released by this association, accessible here.
The victim was 19 years old.
Lusa | 15:16 – 09/07/2025
In the last 13 years analyzed by APSI, on average, 10 children die each year from drowning, and 21 are hospitalized. The highest number of drowning deaths occurs in the 15 to 19 age group, and the highest number of hospitalizations occurs in the 0 to 4 age group.
In addition to drowning deaths, there are also 650 hospitalizations due to drowning, which means that, for every child who dies, approximately 2 are hospitalized (in total up to 22 years old).
Regarding occurrence patterns, the majority of victims are male, and pools are the most common locations for drownings, especially private use pools. There has been an increase in drownings in natural bodies of water such as rivers and beaches.
Children aged 0 to 4 are most likely to drown in pools, while those aged 10 to 14 are more likely to drown in rivers, streams, lakes, and at the beach.
The alert was raised at 15:38 for two young people struggling in the river, in the Valbom area. A source from the Valbom fire department revealed that the “death was declared at the scene at 16:30”.
Lusa | 17:30 – 02/07/2025
To enhance awareness of the issue of child and youth drownings, the GNR has joined prevention and safety campaigns and has been active since June 16 and will continue until September 30, to encourage preventive measures for a safe summer and holidays for everyone.
According to this security force, the drowning numbers are “absolutely devastating.”
In a statement sent to the media, the GNR recalls that for 23 years APSI has run the Child and Youth Drowning Prevention Campaign in Portugal, and for four editions, it has partnered with the National Republican Guard (GNR).
The ultimate goal of the campaign, it states, is the raising awareness among families about the nature of child drownings, which occur quickly, silently, and in shallow water.
