Pool deaths: 75 victims since 2022 in Italy: tips for preventing accidents

The tragic accident in Sestri Levante, where an 11-year-old girl died after getting her hair stuck in the nozzle of a paddling pool, has brought renewed attention to the issue of safety in Italian swimming pools. According to the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), the case brings to 75 the number of deaths recorded in Italian swimming pools since 2022, while the Italian government announces stricter regulations with new rules for facilities.
 

"The death of an 11-year-old girl whose hair got stuck in the drain of a paddling pool in Sestri Levante, near Genoa, brings the tragic death toll in Italian swimming pools recorded since 2022 to 75." SIMA, the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, has made the calculations by analyzing the official numbers of swimming pool deaths recorded in our country. 

"If we consider private pools, those open to the public, thermal parks, and accommodation facilities, 75 people in Italy lost their lives in a swimming pool between January 1, 2022, and July 16, 2026. This represents an average of 16 deaths per year, down from the average of 30 deaths per year monitored by the ISS between 2017 and 2021," the scientific society reports in a statement. "To these," it emphasizes, "we must add the approximately 400 deaths recorded each year in Italy from drowning in waters other than swimming pools (sea, lakes, rivers, streams), while worldwide, drowning deaths have amounted to 2,5 million in the last decade alone." 

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"The main cause of death in swimming pools is due to illness, about 44% of the total, but in more than half of the cases the death occurs in a child under 12, confirming WHO data according to which the most frequent victims of drowning in water are minors," the experts point out. 

"To prevent accidents in Italian swimming pools, it's necessary to follow a few simple rules," says SIMA President Alessandro Miani. "Minors must always be supervised by their parents, who must never be distracted, even when the children are not in the water and are near the pools. Choose only facilities with dedicated supervisors who can intervene promptly if necessary. Always check the depth of a pool before entering, and never swim when overheated or after drinking alcohol. Enter the water slowly, wetting your feet, legs, arms, neck, chest, and face first, as your body needs time to adjust to the change in temperature." 

"The death of Alice, the 11-year-old girl sucked into the drain of a swimming pool in Sestri Levante, highlights the urgent need to secure public and private swimming pools in Italy, without any ifs or buts. In the last three months, five minors have died in swimming pools. Strict discipline is needed, but also greater caution in never leaving children alone in the water. The Meloni government's bill, aimed at this goal, will be approved by the relevant committee within the month, and we will do everything possible to schedule it urgently," stated the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, who signed the proposal along with Health Minister Orazio Schillaci. 

(Adnkronos)