France reports surge in teenage drownings as 2025 heatwave spikes fatalities

Between 1 June and 30 September 2025, France recorded 1 418 drowning incidents, of which 409 were fatal – a 14 % rise in total drownings and a 16 % increase in deaths compared with the previous summer. Adolescents were hardest hit, with 21 deaths among 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds, up from ten the year before.

The sharpest increase occurred during the early heatwave of 19 June‑8 July, when 355 drownings were logged, a 135 % jump over the same period in 2024, and 106 of those were fatal – a 172 % rise. The summer was the third hottest on record since 1900, prompting more people to swim in rivers, lakes and unsupervised sites, especially in the southern and coastal regions of Provence‑Alpes‑Côte d'Azur, Nouvelle‑Aquitaine, Occitanie and Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes, which together accounted for 46 % of deaths.

Santé publique France warned that “cette évolution s’explique en grande partie par des conditions climatiques exceptionnellement favorables à la baignade” and announced an earlier surveillance start date (1 May) and a call for stronger safety measures around natural water bodies, noting a shortage of public pools that hampers swimming education.