Critical period

“We are now going to have a two-week period that is the most critical for drowning in Portugal, in which we have unsupervised beaches, many people on vacation and good weather,” said the president of FEPONS, Alexandre Tadeia, appealing for “utmost caution.”

Data from the federation, dating back to previous years, indicates that this time of year is “terrible” for drowning, with Alexandre Tadeia warning that “everyone should take the utmost care, not approach the water,” because “the aquatic conditions are not conducive to leisure.”

Above-average values

According to the president of FEPONS, "in previous years these two weeks [of the Easter period] have had values ​​well above the average for drownings," since the average number of deaths by drowning is "4.96 per fortnight" and in "previous years [during the Easter fortnight] the values ​​have been double and, in some years, even four times more."

As an example, he added: "In 2024, during this period, we had 20 deaths by drowning in Portugal."

Strengthening surveillance

Numbers that lead the federation to reaffirm the need to expand surveillance on beaches year-round, given the climate that favours their use outside the summer season.

"This surveillance throughout the year would effectively save lives," he said, advocating the implementation of a system similar to that of other countries where there is "a group of lifeguards monitoring the beaches throughout the year."

All-year monitoring

In areas of Portugal where beaches are monitored year-round, "such as Nazaré, for example, there have been no more deaths outside the bathing season," he recalled, emphasising the "evidence that these systems work even with these [sea] conditions."

According to the 2024 National Drowning Report from the FEPONS Drowning Observatory, 121 drowning deaths were recorded that year in mainland Portugal, a 21.9% reduction compared to 2023, when 155 deaths were recorded.

In 2024, the locations with the highest number of occurrences were the sea (41.3%), followed by rivers (31.4%) and wells (9.9%).

According to FEPONS, most deaths occurred in locations without lifeguard supervision, and the highest number of drownings was recorded in April, with 21.5%.

In 2025, up to the end of May, 49 people died from drowning, the third highest number since 2017, according to data from the report.