Fourteen people drowned in the Canaries between January and March this year, the same number as for the first quarter of last year and prompting a leading water safety organisation to reiterate its calls for extra care when swimming.
The fourteen, including one young boy, died in the sea or swimming pools in the islands, with a further 24 rescued and described by the authorities at the time as suffering from a range of conditions from moderately ill to critical.
The Canaries are on course to match the 40 water fatalities recorded in 2024 despite repeated public messages to swimmers to take precautions such as not entering the sea or using natural pools in rough conditions and leaving sufficient time for digestion after meals.
Among the fatalities was Arek, a young Polish boy who was swept out to sea by a big wave while crab hunting in late February off Charco del Viento in north Tenerife. Divers continue to search the coast regularly in the hope that his body will be recovered to be sent back to Poland for burial, as requested by his family.
According to official figures collated by the Canarias, 1500 Km de Costa association, which has helped coordinate the search for Arek, 80% of the fatalities between January and March were men, half were aged over 60 and six were foreigners holidaying in the Canaries.
According to the association, 86% of the drownings (and 73% of all recorded incidents) in Canarian waters so far in 2025 have occurred when the victims disregarded or were unaware of adverse weather/rough sea alerts issued by the Canarian government.
