Three more deaths from drowning over the week end bring the total number of bathers who have died on a Cretan beach to 32 this summer.
On Saturday morning a 68 year old man was pulled out of the sea in Drapanias, Kissamos unconscious and he was certified dead on the beach.
A 60 year old man drown in Georgioupolis on Sunday morning and later in the day the death of a 50 year old man was recorded, again in Drapanias Kissamos.
2014 was one of the worst years on record for sea drownings in Greece with the number of deaths in June and July alone totalling 150.
In the whole of 2014, fifty drownings were recorded in Crete; so this summers tragic figures represent a reduction on last year’s numbers.
Drowning is now the number one cause of accidental death in Crete overtaking traffic accidents.
| Numbers of deaths | 2014 | 2015 (Jan to Aug) |
| Chania | 16 | 11 |
| Rethymno | 12 | 10 |
| Heraklion | 13 | 7 |
| Lasithi | 9 | 4 |
The Greek Life Guard Academy has issued a statement at the beginning of the holiday season – as they do every year – asking swimmers to take basic precautions, take note of warning flags and use beaches with a life guard – blue flag beaches have life guards but they are on duty a certain number of hours each day – the hours are displayed at notice boards near the lifeguard tower.
The ages most at risk from drowning are very young children and the elderly, who tended to drown as a result of heart attacks.
