Swedish men most likely to drown in summer
Throughout July, 18 out of the 21 people who drowned in Sweden were adult men, with experts worrying that the male bathers are overestimating their capabilities in the water.
Drowning statistics are on the rise this year, with 72 Swedes reported drowned so far compared with just 55 at the same time last year. The biggest increase has been in deaths related to swimming, rather than boating accidents.
"It's most often adult men who have gone out for a swim," Anders Wernersten of the Swedish Life Saving Society (Svenska livräddningssällskapet) told the TT news agency.
"That's what's the most common, those who have drowned haven't just fallen in. There's a few men who think they're in good shape but they're not."
A study The Local reported on last month suggested that drunk men were the more likely to drown in Sweden, however Wernersten added that the only correlation he saw was that it was mostly men who were drowning.
He added that the deaths have been widely spread in location across the country, as well as throughout different periods of the day.
And as for the myth that men are drowning after standing up while fishing to urinate into the water, Wernersten claimed it's just an old wives' tale.
"Last year, we had just one person who was found in the water after a boating accident with an open fly, and we didn't really know then what had happened exactly," he said.
Children under the age of 15, meanwhile, have seen a decrease in drowning statistics, something experts put down to improved water safety knowledge among parents.
TT/The Local/og
Comments
See Also
Drowning statistics are on the rise this year, with 72 Swedes reported drowned so far compared with just 55 at the same time last year. The biggest increase has been in deaths related to swimming, rather than boating accidents.
"It's most often adult men who have gone out for a swim," Anders Wernersten of the Swedish Life Saving Society (Svenska livräddningssällskapet) told the TT news agency.
"That's what's the most common, those who have drowned haven't just fallen in. There's a few men who think they're in good shape but they're not."
A study The Local reported on last month suggested that drunk men were the more likely to drown in Sweden, however Wernersten added that the only correlation he saw was that it was mostly men who were drowning.
He added that the deaths have been widely spread in location across the country, as well as throughout different periods of the day.
And as for the myth that men are drowning after standing up while fishing to urinate into the water, Wernersten claimed it's just an old wives' tale.
"Last year, we had just one person who was found in the water after a boating accident with an open fly, and we didn't really know then what had happened exactly," he said.
Children under the age of 15, meanwhile, have seen a decrease in drowning statistics, something experts put down to improved water safety knowledge among parents.
TT/The Local/og
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.