Alagoas recorded, from January to April 25 of this year, 59 cases of drowning, according to data from the Fire Department, requested by EXTRA. The number represents, on average, 2 cases per day.
Recent cases of death due to drowning have attracted attention in Alagoas since the beginning of the year. This Wednesday, the 24th, the body of a Bahian tourist who was missing was found floating on Sereia beach. The cadaveric report confirmed that he drowned.
Just this month, a teenager drowned while swimming with friends in a reservoir in Rio Largo. The victim went for a swim and did not return. At the beginning of January, a businessman from Goiás also drowned on Saco beach, in Marechal Deodoro.
Despite these records, the number of drownings this year has decreased compared to the same period last year. From January to April 25, 2023, the Fire Department recorded 117 drownings.
The Fire Department did not provide the number of cases by city, but said that most of the drowning cases recorded this year occurred in Maceió and Marechal Deodoro.
See the number of cases per month in 2024:
January: 12
February: 13
March: 19
April: 15
Most drowning deaths occur in natural waters
In Alagoas, 87.3% of deaths caused by drowning occurred in natural waters (seas, rivers and lakes), according to the most recent survey released this month by the Brazilian Aquatic Rescue Society (SOBRASA), which considers data from 2022.
According to the research, 111 deaths due to drowning were recorded in the state that year, including:
Drowning and submersion in a swimming pool: 2
Drowning and submersion in natural waters: 97
Other drownings and submersion: 2
Unspecified drowning and submersion: 5
Intentional self-inflicted injury resulting in drowning: 1
Assault through drowning and submersion: 4
The survey shows that more than half (51%) of the municipalities in Alagoas recorded deaths due to drowning. Maceió was the city that recorded the most cases, with 19 deaths. Next appear Arapiraca (9) and Marechal Deodoro (6).
Most of the people who drowned in Alagoas that year were between 45 and 49 years old. 24 deaths of people in this age group were recorded. 30 deaths of children and adolescents up to 14 years old were also recorded.
SOBRASA highlights that it is important to follow some tips to avoid drowning, such as not swimming alone, avoiding diving in a place where you do not know the depth and always preferring to swim in shallow waters. See tips from SOBRASA on what to do in case of drowning:
