#StopDrownings
Downing deaths last year were more than double the number of road deaths in the region. 93 people died by drowning in the Canary Islands during 2017, making the archipelago the worst autonomous community in Spain, having the highest number of deaths by drowning last year, according to the National Drowning Report prepared by the ‘Real Federación Española de Salvamento y Socorrismo’.
The Canary Islands was once again the Spanish territory with the most drowning victims, just as it was in 2016, and with numbers having significantly increased from 71 the previous year to reach 93 deaths by drowning in 2017. 19.3% of the total drowning deaths in Spanish aquatic spaces happened in this archipelago. 73 men and 20 women drowned.
Based on this grim record 71%, of those who drowned in Canary Islands waters, were bathers, 13% were fishermen, 6% were taking part in water sports , 6% were diving and the rest accounted for 4%.
67% of those dead who were identified were foreigners of at up to 13 different nationalities; with victims from Germany, Finland, Wales, Belgium, China, Romania, Poland, Cuba, United Kingdom, France, Romania, Sweden and Denmark. However this sad death toll is led by the Germans followed by the British and the French “at some great distance”.
The figures indicate that drowning is by far the most common cause of accidental death in the Canary Islands, being double the number of deaths recorded due to a traffic accident. For the fourth consecutive year, the Canary Islands saw the highest numbers in Spain of deaths by drowning, followed by Andalusia which closed 2017 with 76 such deaths.
In total Spain closes 2017 with 481 people having been killed by drowning in Spanish aquatic spaces.
