Forty-three drownings occurred in Switzerland last year, almost all in open water. The young and the elderly were particularly affected, the Swiss Life Saving Association (SSS) said.
This is the first time since 2021 that the number of drownings has fallen below 50 deaths, the SSS said in a press release. The number of fatal drownings was 59 in 2024 and had reached 66 in 2022, a record year.
As in previous years, 80% of victims were men. There is a relatively high number of victims in the 17-32 age group, with eight men and two women, accounting for almost a quarter (23%) of all deaths.
Another trend observed in recent years has been confirmed: 17 people over 65 (14 men and three women) lost their lives in 2025, i.e. 40% of the total. According to the SSSSH, this phenomenon – which is also observed abroad – can be explained by the fact that older people are more active in the water, as well as by health problems and a poor assessment of their abilities, albinfo.ch reports.
On the other hand, fatal drownings involving young children are rare. Last year, a two-year-old boy died in an above-ground pool in a garden, and a 14-year-old boy was found dead in a stream.
Prevention is still essential
Most of the fatal drownings occurred in open water: 23 in lakes and 15 in rivers. These figures include two diving accidents, one in Lake Thun and the other during a police operation on the Limmat.
Despite the decline in the number of deaths, the SSSSH believes that “it is not yet possible to raise the alarm.” July 2025 was a very wet and variable month, and in many regions rainfall was well above average.
Against this backdrop, “prevention efforts should not be weakened, in general, but especially in the field of children,” notes the SHSSH. It notes that people accompanying children to swimming pools are often distracted by their mobile phones or other activities.
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