More than 60 children and teens drown in Portugal over five years, prompting new safety campaign

More than 60 children and teenagers have lost their lives to drowning in Portugal over the past five years, prompting the GNR police and the Association for the Promotion of Child Safety (APSI) to launch a new summer awareness campaign aimed at preventing further tragedies.

While Portugal has seen a significant reduction in child drownings over the past two decades, the organisations warn that recent figures point to a worrying rise in fatalities compared with the years immediately before the pandemic.

According to APSI, 63 children and young people aged up to 19 died by drowning between 2020 and 2024, while a further 57 required hospital treatment. During the same period, emergency services received 588 calls related to drowning and diving accidents.

Preliminary figures for 2025 already indicate 33 drowning incidents reported in the media, including 12 fatalities, while the 112/INEM emergency system has continued to respond to more than 100 drowning and diving-related incidents each year since 2020.

Although annual deaths fell from 28 in 2002 to eight in 2024, APSI notes that the average number of fatalities between 2020 and 2022 was 15 per year – more than double the average recorded between 2017 and 2019.

Younger children most at risk in pools

The numbers cited reveal different risk patterns depending on age.

Children aged 0 to 4 accounted for the highest number of drowning incidents overall, with 20 deaths and 21 hospitalisations, most of them occurring in private swimming pools.

Among children aged 10 to 14, drownings were more common in natural bodies of water, including rivers, lagoons and beaches, while teenagers aged 15 to 19 recorded the highest number of fatalities overall, with 28 deaths.

The organisations also found that drownings are far more common among boys and occur predominantly during the summer months of June, July and August.

While incidents involving wells and water tanks have declined, APSI says accidents in rivers, streams, lagoons and coastal areas have continued to increase.

“Drowning is fast and silent”

The GNR and APSI are urging families not to underestimate the risks around water.

“Drowning is fast, silent and can happen in just a few centimetres of water,” the organisations warned.

They stress that the most effective ways to prevent drownings remain constant adult supervision, installing protective barriers around private swimming pools, choosing lifeguarded bathing areas whenever possible and ensuring rescue equipment is available near unsupervised bodies of water.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.