Drowning deaths are surging in France as more people jump into rivers, canals and other waters to escape a record heat wave. More than 300 people have died in just over two months since June, a 14% increase from the same period last year.
With accidents mounting in waters without lifeguards, the French government has sharply raised the fine for swimming in unauthorized areas.
301 Drownings in Two Months, Up 14% From Last Year
According to the BBC, French Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferracci said on French radio station France Inter that 301 people have drowned in France since June 19. That figure is 14% higher than the same period last year. Ferracci described it as a "tragic" number.
The French government sees this summer's continued heat wave as connected to the rise in drowning deaths. As people crowd to rivers, canals and lakes to escape the heat, accidents have followed at sites where no lifeguards are stationed or where swimming is banned altogether.
Ferracci explained that many of the deaths occurred in places where swimming was not permitted or where safety was not being managed. Among older adults, a considerable number of deaths reportedly occurred in private swimming pools.
France has enough drowning accidents that it monitors them separately each year. According to Public Health France, there were 1,418 water immersion incidents between June and September last year, of which 409, or about 29%, resulted in death. This year, with the heat wave arriving early, authorities moved the start of their drowning surveillance period up to May.
Swimming in Banned Zones — Fine Raised From 38 to 68 Euros
As the heat wave has intensified, cases of people ignoring "no swimming" signs and entering the water have continued. When temperatures in parts of France climbed close to 40 degrees Celsius in June, swimmers were repeatedly spotted at ponds without lifeguards and at urban canals.
The French government ultimately tightened its penalties. According to local media outlet Franceinfo, the government ruled that, effective the 3rd of this month, anyone caught swimming in unauthorized waters or in no-entry zones marked with red flags will be punished for a Class 3 offense.
The fixed fine rose to 68 euros (about $79) from the previous 38 euros (about $44). Prompt payment reduces it to 45 euros (about $52), but late payment can push it as high as 180 euros (about $210).
Suddenly entering cold water with a body heated by the sweltering weather is itself dangerous. On the 22nd, the U.K. Met Office warned that water can be cold even in hot weather, and that sudden entry can cause "cold water shock," rapidly increasing breathing and heart rate and potentially leading to panic. The risk can be especially high when the water temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius.
Nuclear Plant Halted, Eiffel Tower Hours Cut — Heat Damage Spreads Across France
France's heat wave damage this summer has not stopped at drowning deaths. In June, the Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France temporarily halted operations after the Garonne River's water temperature exceeded 28 degrees Celsius. The Eiffel Tower in Paris also shortened its operating hours due to the high temperatures.
As high temperatures combined with dry weather, wildfire damage followed as well. In late July, a large wildfire spread through the Gironde region in the southwest, including Bordeaux, forcing more than 200,000 residents to evacuate.
The human toll is also growing. According to preliminary figures from France's health authorities, "excess deaths" above normal levels reached about 7,300 between late May and July 22.
Europe is regarded as a region where warming is proceeding at roughly twice the global average pace. Believing that a prolonged heat wave could keep drawing more citizens to the water, the French government plans to work with local authorities to expand places where people can swim safely and to strengthen water safety management.
