Sudden illness, adverse hydrodynamic conditions, currents and unstable seabeds , but also reckless behavior resulting from a poor perception of danger or insufficient swimming skills . These are the main causes of death by drowning , illustrated in the report of the Observatory for the National Prevention Strategy drawn up under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
The report also highlights Sardinia as one of the Italian regions with the highest number of drowning deaths: in the two-year period 2024-2025 there were 41 victims on the island, like those in Puglia and Sicily. At the top of the sad ranking is Lombardy (90 cases), Veneto (73), Tuscany (52) and Lazio (51).
At the national level, the annual report for 2024-2025, published by the Italian National Institute of Health, records 604 deaths, approximately 23% of which were children and young people up to the age of 24. Over 80% of deaths involve men, while 19.3% of victims are women. Furthermore, approximately 30% of drownings involve people over the age of 65. 46.8% of fatalities occur in maritime environments, while 46.2% of drownings occur in inland waters (rivers and lakes), and only 6.2% occur in swimming pools. This latter figure is alarming considering that the majority of drownings involve children and adolescents.
In its annual report, the Ministerial Observatory also indicates the rules to follow for beach safety and risk prevention, including the recommendation to teach children to swim at a very early age .
Still on the subject of prevention, experts also offer some practical advice for adults : if pushed offshore by a rip current, swim sideways to escape, never against it; never dive without first knowing the water's bottom (depth or presence of ledges), and in any case, dive feet first, never head first. There are many serious accidents involving diving, ranging from fatalities to irreparable spinal injuries.
