Spain's record drowning toll: lifeguards call for more authority, fewer phones

Record drownings in Spain: lifeguards call for more authority and fewer phones

The summer of 2025 is proving the deadliest on Spain's coasts. The figures speak for themselves: 92 deaths from unintentional drowning in June, and 217 in the first half of the year, according to the latest report by the Real Federación Española de Salvamento y Socorrismo (RFESS, the Spanish lifeguard federation). The organisation is calling for surveillance to be extended until September, a stronger role for lifeguards and greater prevention efforts. But the awkward question is whether the problem is one of resources or of attitude.

The numbers behind the disaster

The RFESS has documented a historic start to the season in terms of fatalities. Although it does not offer a detailed profile of the victims, the data indicate that the increase is concentrated in unsupervised areas and among swimmers who ignore red flags. "Two factors explain this rise: heatwaves are arriving earlier and earlier, even in the north, and that means people head to beaches, rivers or pools earlier," the report notes. However, high temperatures do not explain the recklessness.

The human factor: swimmers who cannot swim and flags that go ignored

A recurring theme in the analysis points to a lack of basic swimming skills among certain groups, especially people from regions without an aquatic tradition. Added to this are alcohol consumption, overestimating one's own abilities and disregard for safety rules. "People have become idiots and lack common sense," sums up a widespread view, which adds that more and more people "cannot swim and go into the sea anyway." Crowded beaches and an ageing population also play a significant role: older people suffer fainting spells or lack the physical strength to stay afloat.

The lifeguard paradox: caught between phones and excessive bureaucracy

While the RFESS calls for more resources, controversy is growing over the conduct of lifeguards themselves. Some complain that "all the lifeguards are looking at their phones" while on duty, although a single observation does not amount to a general trend. Another recurring debate is the overuse of the red flag: some town halls hoist it over "any trivial matter," critics say, to dodge responsibility, which leads swimmers to ignore it. Bureaucracy also rears its head: one case has been documented of a lifeguard fined for rescuing a woman without first trinc the protocol of calling 112. "You'll have to choose: drown or die lynched," sums up the situation of anyone who must decide between acting or trinc the rules.

Given all this, the solution is not simply to post more guards. As long as the public does not take its share of responsibility —respect the flags, avoid alcohol, learn to swim— and protocols continue to prioritise bureaucracy over effectiveness, drowning figures will keep breaking records. Town halls, meanwhile, will find it easier to fly a permanent red flag than to educate citizens.