Every year in France, drowning accounts for around 1,000 deaths, the vast majority of which occur during the summer months. These accidents affect all age groups, with people over 65 and children under 6 being particularly vulnerable, and can happen anywhere people swim: the sea, swimming pools, lakes or rivers.
However, most drownings can be prevented by taking simple precautions and remaining vigilant at all times.
Whether you are a parent, occasional swimmer or water sports enthusiast, here are some essential tips for enjoying the water and the waterfront safely.
In this article, discover age-appropriate safety measures, warning signs to look out for, risk factors to avoid, and the importance of active supervision.
You care about them, don't take your eyes off them!
If you don't have time to read this whole article and you have children, just remember this: "You care about them, don't take your eyes off them!".
This is the slogan adopted each year since 2023 by France's public health agency (Santé Publique France) and the French Ministry of Health and Sports for the annual campaign to prevent child drowning. It highlights the importance of constant vigilance on the part of adults, whether during scheduled swimming times or outside of them, and whether in supervised areas or not.
For people over 65, the slogan adopted by the French authorities is: "For safe swimming, let's talk about health!". For this age group, most drownings occur while swimming in the sea near the shore, due to physical problems such as heart failure, high blood pressure, cramps, etc. It is therefore even more important for senior citizens to be aware of their own limitations, to be properly equipped and to be accompanied when engaging in this type of activity at sea.
In the rest of this article, we list the steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from drowning.
Safety measures for each age group
As prevention is better than cure, here are some recommendations to help avoid drowning situations.
Safety for young children
Children under the age of 6 are particularly at risk of drowning. Unfortunately, the younger the children are, the less they know how to swim. Learning to swim (or at least how to save themselves) should happen as early as possible, but today we know that children are rarely able to save themselves from drowning before the age of 6 (around 4 for the most precocious). This is also accompanied by a lack of awareness of the danger for these children.
To protect them, continuous and constant adult supervision remains absolutely essential. Accidents don't just happen to others.
Here are some habits to adopt and additional measures to implement:
- Designate one unique adult to be responsible for supervising each child, in order to avoid a ‘bystander effect’ (i.e. everyone watches, no one acts because they think someone else will intervene).
- While swimming or bathing, stay within arm's reach of your child, even if they are wearing armbands or a life jacket.
- Avoid distractions (telephone, reading) while in the water, and do not leave your child unattended, even for a moment.
- Equip private swimming pools with certified safety devices (barriers, alarms, covers, shelters) and activate them, especially outside of scheduled swimming times. In France, pool owners are legally required to protect their pools adequately, under penalty of heavy sanctions (fines and/or jail).
- When not swimming, if your child is staying close to water, you can equip him/her with a anti‑drowning T‑shirt for added protection.
- After swimming, remove all floating toys from the water to prevent children from going to retrieve them.
- Teach your child to swim as early as possible with tailored programmes: baby swimming, water confidence, learning to swim.
Safety for teenagers
Unlike children, teenagers generally have sufficient swimming skills to save themselves from low-risk situations. Unfortunately, they can often be overconfident about their actual abilities and underestimate the level of danger. For example, a number of tragic accidents occurred in France in June and July 2025 during heat waves in unsupervised areas.
It is important to make them aware of the following:
- Do not overestimate swimming ability.
- Choose supervised bathing areas and follow the safety instructions indicated by the flags.
- Avoid diving in unfamiliar or shallow areas.
- Do not bathe after a heavy meal or alcohol consumption.
- Do not swim alone.
- Do not go into the water if feeling unwell (tiredness, chills, muscle pain, etc.).
- Get informed about weather conditions and adapt accordingly.
Safety for adults
Adults are not immune to risk, particularly those over 65, whose vulnerability is sadly confirmed by drowning statistics. In addition to the recommendations for teenagers and adults, here are some additional precautions to take:
- Adapt the intensity and duration of swimming to your physical condition and swimming ability.
- Seek medical advice or consult a pharmacist if you have a chronic illness or are undergoing medical treatment.
- Inform a friend or relative when you go swimming, and if possible, have someone accompany you in the water.
- Gradually cool down before entering the water to avoid thermal shock, especially if there is a significant difference between the water and air temperatures.
- Do not hesitate to wear appropriate flotation devices or even a life jacket when in natural surroundings.
The warning signs of drowning
Despite all the precautions that can be taken, there is no such thing as zero risk, and drowning can occur. In this case, it is important to quickly recognise a real drowning situation as such and to act just as quickly to avoid the worst.
Drowning does not always happen as we imagine it. Contrary to popular belief, it is not always noisy and visible: it can be silent and occur without any apparent commotion.
Here are the warning signs to look out for:
- The person remains upright in the water, without gesturing.
- The head is tilted back, the mouth open.
- No answer when called.
- Seems to be trying to swim but isn't moving forward.
If in doubt, act immediately: call out to the person before intervening, and if there is no response, throw them a floating object, alert the emergency services (dial 112 in Europe) and, above all, do not put yourself in danger.
Sometimes, the victim may simply ‘swallow water’ but subsequently develop a respiratory complication, for example through a lung infection caused by the presence of water in the lungs. Here are some signs to watch out for in the minutes or even hours after leaving the water, especially in children:
- Extreme fatigue and a strong tendency to fall asleep
- Difficulty breathing: coughing, shortness of breath, blue lips
- Vomiting
If the victim shows one or more of these signs within minutes of leaving the water, it is important to call the emergency services immediately (dial 112 in Europe).
Please feel free to read our article on What is drowning? if you would like to learn more about this topic, particularly the medical aspects (e.g. how to recognise the four stages of drowning by asphyxiation).
Risk factors associated with drowning
Hazardous locations
Some places require extra vigilance:
- Private pools without safety equipment (illegal in France).
- Unsupervised rivers, lakes, beaches.
- Areas where swimming is not permitted, particularly those with strong currents.
Where possible, always choose supervised areas during periods when lifeguards are on duty.
Risky activities
Certain activities increase the risks:
- Diving into murky or shallow waters.
- Swimming after prolonged exposure to the sun.
- Violent games or challenges in the water.
- Consuming alcohol or drugs before swimming.
Being aware of your actual abilities and your own fragility helps to limit the risk of finding yourself in a situation that is dangerous for you.
Importance of supervision
Active, constant and continuous supervision is key to preventing drowning, especially among children. Always assign one responsible adult per child, avoid distractions, and stay close to younger children. Even with flotation devices, children must always be supervised.
This supervision is at the heart of the authorities' prevention campaigns, highlighting its crucial importance. In more than half of all cases of child drowning in France, a lack of supervision is reported. A few seconds of inattention are enough for a tragedy to occur.
Additional safety rules to limit risks
Here are some tips to follow in order to limit the risk factors for drowning, so that you can enjoy the water safely:
When entering the water
- Check the depth: before diving, ensure that the depth is sufficient and that the water is free of obstacles.
- Avoid diving in unfamiliar areas: never dive in murky water, rivers or lakes where you do not know the depth.
Swimming in natural surroundings
- Whether at sea, on a lake or in a river, find out about currents, tides and weather conditions before swimming.
- Always obey the bathing flags.
- Inform a friend or relative: where you are going and for how long.
- Carry a flotation device or life jacket with you just in case, such as a manual anti‑drowning T‑shirt
Private pool
- Private pools must be equipped with certified safety devices (barriers, alarms, covers, shelters).
- Outside of scheduled swimming times, it is essential that these safety devices are properly activated. A cover that does not cover the entire surface of the pool does not provide any protection.
- Never leave a child unattended, even for a few seconds. Designate a specific person to be responsible for each child.
- While swimming, stay within arm's reach of the child.
- After swimming, remove all objects that may appeal to children (toys, balls, etc.) from the pool.
- Consider the anti‑drowning T‑shirt to keep your child safe when not supposed to be swimming.
Conclusion and summary of key points
Preventing drowning relies on vigilance, awareness of the risks and taking simple precautions. By following these tips, you can enjoy the water safely, whether alone or with your family. Remember: drowning can happen in a matter of seconds, even in shallow water.
To learn more, discover the Floatee anti-drowning solutions, designed to provide additional protection for children near water and adults in the water.
