As high temperatures entice more and more people to cool off in the country’s lakes and rivers, the Swiss Lifesaving Society says that the number of people who drown is on the increase, with 80 per cent of those who die in the water being men.
Last week, a 15-year-old boy drowned at the Domaine des Îles de Sion in the canton of Valais and a 14-year-old boy drowned in Lake Constance in the north-east of the country.
On average, 45 people drown each year in open water in Switzerland. Figures suggest that last year the number rose to 60.
Christoph Merki from the Swiss Lifesaving Society says that four out of five drowning victims are men, with 15- to 29-year-olds being most at risk.
Merki warns that this age group is most likely to misjudge the dangers of lakes and rivers, with poor or no assessment of the associated risks.
He says that only experienced or strong swimmers should venture into open waters and, in general, you should never swim alone.
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