Rainy days saving lives
TT/The Local - [email protected]
Published: 28 Jul, 2007 CET.
Updated: Sat 28 Jul 2007 09:29 CET
The rainy summer may have ruined Swedes' holiday plans but it has also been a life-saver. Fourteen people have died so far in July - less than a third of the total for the same month last year.
In July 2006 some 47 people died in boat or swimming accidents.
"Southern Sweden has had significantly worse weather this year. But there are also certain factors that mean there are small ups and downs in the statistics," said Anders Wernesten, press officer at the Swedish Lifesaving Society (SLS).
The SLS reckons that so far this summer more drownings have happened during boat trips than when people have been swimming. Last year the opposite was the case.
"Then we had a lot of bathing accidents and that was because of the warm weather. Many people over-estimated their swimming ability and that led to the drownings," said Wernesten.
So far this year 62 people have drowned, compared to a total of 135 in the whole of 2006.
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In July 2006 some 47 people died in boat or swimming accidents.
"Southern Sweden has had significantly worse weather this year. But there are also certain factors that mean there are small ups and downs in the statistics," said Anders Wernesten, press officer at the Swedish Lifesaving Society (SLS).
The SLS reckons that so far this summer more drownings have happened during boat trips than when people have been swimming. Last year the opposite was the case.
"Then we had a lot of bathing accidents and that was because of the warm weather. Many people over-estimated their swimming ability and that led to the drownings," said Wernesten.
So far this year 62 people have drowned, compared to a total of 135 in the whole of 2006.
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