The French government said more than 90 people have died by drowning since 19 June, as authorities and swimming bodies stepped up warnings during a summer marked by intense heat and more people seeking relief in rivers, lakes, canals and pools.
Issued on: 02/07/2026 - 17:03
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France's Sport and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari said on Thursday the death toll had risen sharply since the latest extreme heatwave began, calling the figure "worrying" and urging families, young people and local authorities to stay alert. "Since 19 June, we have recorded more than 90 drownings. This is a worrying figure," Ferrari told RMC television, updating the latest official count, which had stood at 74 deaths since 18 June. The minister said the pattern appeared closely linked to the heatwave, with many people going to the water to cool down. She said the number of deaths had fallen in recent days but the risk remained high as the summer season gathered pace. France's scorching weekend heat leads to elderly deaths and spate of drownings Risky behaviour "We've seen a drop in recent days, so it's clear this is also linked to a heatwave, when people go looking for a cool place," Ferrari said. "In the early days, there were a lot of young people; after that, the figures spread out." Ferrari said drowning does not affect a single age group or social profile, warning that very young children and teenagers or young adults taking risks were particularly exposed. “There is no typical profile,” she said. “Firstly, very young children are particularly vulnerable and must not be left unsupervised ... secondly, there are young people engaging in dangerous behaviour, such as ‘I’m going to jump off a bridge’ or ‘I’m going into an unsupervised canal’.” The minister also pointed to a shortage of safe swimming facilities in some parts of the country, particularly rural areas, where public pools have become harder to maintain. "There is a vulnerability around swimming pools, particularly in rural areas, where there are fewer and fewer pools because of a problem with renovation," Ferrari said. The government was working on reforms to the national lifeguard and first-aid certificate to give qualified staff more autonomy and strengthen supervision, she added, while calling for renewed efforts to teach open-water swimming, noting that many accidents happen away from traditional swimming pools. France's deadly heatwave triggers accusations of government inaction Safety campaign The French Swimming Federation used the closing day of the French Championships in Saint-Étienne on Thursday to launch a new drowning prevention campaign, warning that too many people underestimate the risks around water. "The Federation wanted to take the lead on these issues as there is a lack of water safety culture in France," Lazreg Benelhadj, deputy president of the federation, said. "We need to raise awareness of the dangers of the aquatic environment." The campaign, launched under the slogan "Drowning gives no warning", will include four videos on the federation's social media channels. Each video focuses on one of the main situations that can lead to drowning: ignoring warning signs, overestimating physical ability, leaving children unsupervised around private swimming pools and swimming after drinking alcohol. The campaign follows a deadly summer in 2025, when 409 people died by drowning in France, the national public health agency said. That was a 16 percent increase on 2024. Among the victims were 57 children and teenagers. Authorities are urging people to swim only in supervised areas where possible, obey warning signs and local bans, avoid jumping into unfamiliar water and keep young children within arm's reach at all times. (with newswires)
