Numbers up again as one-fifth of all Spanish drownings occur in the Canaries

[Janet]

The final tragic figures for drownings in the Canaries in 2017 issued by the Real Federación Española de Salvamento y Socorrismo show that 93 people have lost their lives in these waters, up from 72 in 2016, a rise of nearly 30%. For the fourth year on the trot, the Canaries heads Spanish numbers for deaths in the sea, with almost 20% of the entire country's 536 deaths from drowning last year occurring in these islands. Again the main victims, some 70%, are visitors.

Despite all the efforts made by a range of services, official channels and media outlets to inform and advise people of how to stay safe in the sea in the Canaries, Tenerife suffered the same number of losses as last year at 21 while the numbers throughout the islands went up by 21. Please do all you can to warn your friends and visitors that it's perfectly possible to bathe safely here but they need to know how to do so. Please direct them to THIS page with information about the range of issues they need to be aware of, from beach flags, to rip tides, undertow, costeros, and cold water shock.

Some say that the real problem is the roads and drivers here, but this years numbers of drownings are again double those of people killed in traffic accidents. Drownings are now the primary cause of accidental death here. This has to stop.

[Perikles]

The final tragic figures for drownings in the Canaries in 2017 issued by the Real Federación Española de Salvamento y Socorrismo show that 93 people have lost their lives in these waters, up from 72 in 2016, a rise of nearly 30%. For the fourth year on the trot, the Canaries heads Spanish numbers for deaths in the sea, with almost 20% of the entire country's 536 deaths from drowning last year occurring in these islands. Again the main victims, some 70%, are visitors.

There are too many unkowns to draw a clear conclusion, but it has been pointed out elsewhere that of tourists spending holidays in Spain, 20% visit the Canaries. All else being equal, it is then hardly surprising that 20% of drownings of tourists happen in the Canaries. The figures do not indicate that the situation here is any different to elsewhere in Spain.

[Michael]

Shortly after Janet's original post I was out on a frantic tea bag hunt and paused at the viewing point above the Los Gigantes rock pool.

I think it should be re-named the idiot pool.

Obviously the white crosses on the wall aren't having much effect. 

[Anne 2009]

Madness. Maybe they are the people who think it will never happen to them!

[Perikles]

Here are some tourist figures for Spain, conveniently prepared as usual to be almost incomprehensible. What you can glean is the info that in November last year, 28% of tourists visiting Spain came to the Canaries.