Ten people died in July, according to the Alpes-Maritimes firefighters. Senior citizens are the first victims.
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The firefighters of the Alpes-Maritimes are calling for vigilance on Friday, August 2, on France Bleu Azur, because the number of drownings is increasing sharply. They have recorded 40 this month of July, including ten fatalities. A figure up 30% compared to the same time last year. In July 2023, three drownings were fatal in this very touristy department.
The last intervention by the Alpes-Maritimes firefighters, for a drowning, dates back to Friday, August 2, in the morning, in Mandelieu-la-Napoule. A septuagenarian was in cardio-respiratory arrest when the firefighters arrived. They tried to resuscitate him for several minutes on the Dauphins beach, in vain. The man died. This is the fifth death on the Côte d’Azur beaches in just one week, reports France Bleu Azur.
Patrick Gentili, head of the forecast group of the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (Sdis), notes that senior citizens are the first victims of drowning this month of July: “This is the profile that stands out the most, those who are over 70 years old. They are widely represented.”
According to him, the high temperatures explain this increase in the number of drownings. The Alpes-Maritimes are still on orange heatwave alert. This tires the organisms, especially of the elderly. “Even if people protect themselves under parasols, when they go into the water, the difference can cause a very rapid vasoconstriction of the vessels which causes an increase in the heart rate. You can feel unwell or faint and if you are alone in the sea, it can be fatal.”explains Patrick Gentili on France Bleu Azur.
He urges swimmers to go to supervised beaches. Four of the five drowning deaths this week “were in unsupervised places”underlines the head of the Sdis 06 forecasting group. Patrick Gentili advises seniors to buy an open water swimming buoy, as a precaution, in case of fatigue in the water.