Portuguese maritime authorities report 22 summer deaths and 313 rescues this year

The Portuguese National Maritime Authority (AMN) reported 22 deaths during the four-month summer season, spanning May 1 to August 31. Of these fatalities, 12 were due to drowning and nine were attributed to sudden illness. The AMN also noted 1,285 rescues and 2,359 first-aid actions during this period.

Separately, the Portuguese Navy announced that it has conducted 313 search and rescue operations during the first eight months of 2026, resulting in 313 lives saved. The highest volume of incidents occurred in the Lisbon Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) area, which recorded 28 incidents and 46 rescues. The Ponta Delgada MRCC coordinated 13 actions saving nine people, while the Funchal Sub-Centre coordinated two actions saving five people.

Recent individual maritime incidents include the rescue of a 55-year-old recreational fisherman in a steep, rocky area on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores, and a medical rescue of a 65-year-old Swiss national near Madeira involving a Portuguese Air Force helicopter.