Between January and September 15, 60 people died in fatal water accidents, the Swiss Lifesaving Society (SSS) saidExternal link on October 28. This compares with 36 drownings in 2021.
Around 80% of this year’s fatalities were men. Over 60% of the drownings occurred on lakes and almost 40% in rivers.
“Continued high temperatures this year have certainly drawn more people to the lake shores and to the waters, increasing the likelihood of drownings,” the SSS said in a statement.
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Men at higher risk of drowning in Swiss rivers
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The drowning of the son of an Indonesian politician has sparked international dismay and criticism against river swimming in Switzerland.
This year around 20 victims were aged between 70 and 85. The society said that while the causes of death cannot be clearly determined, it is assumed the victims “underestimated the dangers”.
This year the death of Emmeril Mumtadz, the son of a top Indonesian politician who drowned in the river Aare in Bern in May, sparked international dismay and criticism against river swimming in Switzerland.
In 2019, more than 236,000 people drowned worldwide which makes death in water one of the biggest public health problems in the world. Drowning is one of the top ten causes of death for people aged one to 24 across the globe.
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The rise of urban swimming in Swiss cities
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‘Swim CityExternal link‘ also looks at contemporary river-swimming projects from Europe and the US, such as ‘Flussbad’ in Berlin, ‘POOL IS COOL’ from Brussels, ‘Thames Baths’ in London, ‘Ilot Vert’ in Paris, ‘Charles River Swimming Initiative’ in Boston and ‘+POOL’ in New York. (S AM Swiss Architecture Museum)
Pro-Palestine uni protests to be debated in Swiss parliament
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The Swiss People’s Party says it will launch two postulates calling for clarifications about the recent student protests and occupations.
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A 36-year-old man from Ticino lost his life on Saturday in Val Malvaglia, in the north of canton Ticino, during a wingsuit jump from a plane.
Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church numbers dropping in French-speaking Switzerland
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As in German-speaking Switzerland, the number of members of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland is also declining.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
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The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
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Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
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With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
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The drowning of the son of an Indonesian politician has sparked international dismay and criticism against river swimming in Switzerland.
This content was published on
‘Swim CityExternal link‘ also looks at contemporary river-swimming projects from Europe and the US, such as ‘Flussbad’ in Berlin, ‘POOL IS COOL’ from Brussels, ‘Thames Baths’ in London, ‘Ilot Vert’ in Paris, ‘Charles River Swimming Initiative’ in Boston and ‘+POOL’ in New York. (S AM Swiss Architecture Museum)
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Swimming in rivers has become increasingly popular in Switzerland. But the trend means more swimmers are being saved from drowning. Over the last 20 years, rescue operations on the Rhine in Basel have steadily increased. Now a patrol cruises the Rhine for ten hours every day in summer. Fire brigades, border control and the police…
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