Provisional data from the annual report on beaches 2024 of the Balearic Islands have been presented.
As part of the 32nd Technical Conference on Beach Safety, which was held today in the Alcúdia auditorium to mark the end of the 2024 bathing season, the provisional data from the annual report were presented.
The most noteworthy figure is that the number of people who died on the beaches of the Balearic Islands has fallen, with a total of 31 deaths (22 in Mallorca, 5 in Menorca, 3 in Ibiza and 1 in Formentera), 6 fewer than in 2023. Outside the hours of the rescue services, the number of deaths was 12, 3 more than last year. In swimming pools, the number of victims was 12, 5 more than in 2023, bringing the total number of drowning fatalities in aquatic environments to 43.
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The number of deaths falls and the number of drowned people recovered from the beaches of the Balearic Islands rises
With regard to the number of people rescued, the figure this year has increased considerably, with 1,936 actions by the rescue services that have been decisive in saving the lives of the people affected who were in a situation of danger. In 2023, 1,292 individuals were assisted. Despite the increase in this figure, the rapid intervention of the rescue services prevented people at risk from reaching the point of exhaustion or cardiorespiratory arrest, with 8 more people recovered from drowning than in 2023.
In 2023, 1,292 individuals were assisted. Despite the increase in this figure, the rapid intervention of the surveillance services prevented people at risk from reaching the point of exhaustion or cardiorespiratory arrest, with 8 more drowned people recovered than last year.
On the other hand, of the total number of aquatic interventions (2,421), 1,649 are directly related to the lack of self-protection of bathers, imprudence or poor knowledge of the environment: 706 incidents caused by sea currents, 538 by strong waves and 405 by distance from the coast.
With regard to serious incidents compared to 2023, the number of cases has risen from 708 to 914, distributed between Mallorca (596), Menorca (117), Ibiza (152) and Formentera (49). This increase is justified by the fact that the bathing season has had many days suitable for bathing, very high temperatures and a high influx of tourists, which has meant that many beaches have been at the limit of their capacity.
The number of people taken to health centres has also increased, with 761 cases (477 in Mallorca, 105 in Menorca, 135 in Ibiza and 44 in Formentera).
With regard to stings by marine fauna, there have been 44,346 cases of jellyfish and 937 cases of spiderfish stings, while the number of jellyfish sightings has decreased compared to the previous season (3,872), with 2,378 observations.
It is important to highlight the preventive tasks of the rescue and lifeguard services, which have contributed directly to the safety of bathers. Of a total of 186,609 self-protection interventions, 66,290 were caused by people in dangerous areas, 34,968 by non-motorised boats within the bathing area, 35,689 by bathers in boat channels, 18,557 by bathers outside the marked bathing area, 12,668 by motorised boats within the bathing area, 10,254 by swimmers in currents within the marked area and 8,163 by bathers assisted with a red flag.
The event was attended by Antonio Plata, head of the Department of Emergencies of the Government of the Balearic Islands; Francisco Javier Rodríguez, councillor for the Environment of Alcúdia Town Council; technicians from the Directorate General of Emergencies; municipal coordinators of beach services; heads of lifeguard and rescue companies and representatives of Civil Protection and Emergencies training bodies.