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10 | Gazette Life | July 2025GAZETTE | INTERVIEWGET WET BUT STAY SAFE!As the summer season approaches its peak, Lanzarote%u2019s beaches will be busier than ever, and with World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25th, there%u2019s no better time to address safety matters. The statistics for this year so far, which show just two drownings on Lanzarote by mid-June, may seem positive when the total of nine drownings on the island last year is taken into account. But these figures are too small to reflect any positive trends, and every death is one too many.The Canary Islands, surrounded by sea and visited by millions of tourists a year, saw 72 drownings last year, more than twice as many victims as were caused by road accidents. Campaign groups such as Canarias: 1500 Km de Costa point out that Spain spends %u20ac90 million each year on road traffic accident prevention, but nothing on water safety.Sebasti%u00e1n Quintana, who founded the campaign, calls drowning %u201cthe silent tragedy%u201d pointing out that while road accidents receive wide coverage, with photos of destroyed cars and injured victims, drownings leave no trace and near-drownings are rarely reported.75% of drownings on the Canaries are of men, and the profile of the most likely victim is a foreign male aged over 60 bathing at a beach on a summer afternoon, a description which clearly applies to many tourists.Nevertheless, drowning incidents happen to victims of both sexes and all ages and nationalities. They occur in swimming pools, piers and rocky coasts as well as on beaches, and victims can be fishermen and scuba divers, as well as bathers. Migrant drownings, including the tragic deaths of seven women and girls at El Hierro in May, are not included in official figures. Quintana says that information and education is as important as lifesaving services, and believes that, alongside official safety campaigns, hotels and holiday rentals should do more to inform tourists about water safety.This includes explaining the flag system on beaches, and raising awareness of weather warnings issued by AEMET or local authorities. At least two recent drowning victims on Lanzarote were foreign tourists who may not have been aware that rough sea warnings were in place. Drownings of children are, thankfully, very rare but usually occur in swimming pools where parental supervision is absent.The Canarian motto is simply %u201cOcean%u201d, reflecting the fundamental importance of the sea to the islands. It also reflects the immense respect that should be given to those wonderful waters. A red flag flies permanently at Famara beach, one of the most dangerous on the island.