Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The Association for the Prevention of Accidents in Aquatic Environments ‘Canary Islands, 1500 km of coast’ has estimated a total of eight fatalities.
This has been highlighted by the organisation in a statement, which conducted a statistical analysis using data obtained from official sources related to emergency services, primarily 112 Canary Islands, Civil Guard, National Police, Maritime Rescue, Firefighters, and Civil Protection.
The initiative is supported by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Elder Museum of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Department of Tourism, and the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria along with Binter.
16 incidents in the first month of 2025
Thus, during January 2025, a total of 16 individuals were reported to be affected by accidents in aquatic areas of the archipelago, representing a 6% decrease compared to 2024 (17 total victims).
In addition to the deceased, there is one individual in a critical condition, four injured moderately, two with minor injuries, and one person was rescued uninjured.
Among the deceased identified by nationality, two were foreigners: one of British nationality and another unspecified, in addition to one Spanish national and five of unknown nationality.
In terms of age classification, 75% of the deceased (a total of six) were over 60 years old, while the remaining 25% were adult bathers (two individuals).
Of the fatalities, 75% involved six men, and 25% involved women.
Based on their activities, 75% of the deceased were bathers, 13% were not engaged in a specified activity, and the remaining 12% were involved in fishing.
Tenerife leads in drowning fatalities
According to ‘Canary Islands, 1500 km of coast’, Tenerife is the island that accounted for the highest number of fatalities in January, with three deaths, followed by La Palma with two; Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and La Gomera each recorded one, while Fuerteventura, El Hierro, and La Graciosa reported no fatalities.
The most frequent locations for accidents were beaches (44%), followed by ports and coastal zones (37%), and natural pools (19%). Notably, 62% of drownings occurred in the afternoon, whereas 38% took place in the morning.
The eight individuals who tragically drowned on the Canary Coasts in January, along with 15 of the 16 total affected, had entered the water while a pre-alert was activated by the Canary Islands government due to adverse coastal conditions.
This scenario suggests that “recklessness is the primary behaviour pattern” and, therefore, “the leading cause of death by drowning in the islands”: in some instances due to ignorance, particularly among tourists (predominantly foreigners), and in others due to overconfidence, particularly in locals.
In light of this issue, the Canarian association for drowning prevention has emphasised the importance of exercising “common sense and maintaining a preventive and responsible attitude” when engaging in aquatic environments.
