Half of Water Activity Drowning Deaths Occur in Late July to Early August... Accident Locations Revealed

104 Fatalities from Water-Related Accidents in the Past Five Years
Rivers Rank First as Accident Locations, Followed by Valleys and the Sea

More than half of drowning accidents that occurred during water activities over the past five years have been concentrated between late July and early August, when the summer vacation season is at its peak.

On July 26, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety urged the public to exercise special caution, noting that the risk of water-related accidents increases during the summer break and the peak holiday season. According to the ministry, a total of 104 people died in water-related accidents over the last five years (2021–2025). Of these, 56 people (54%) lost their lives between late July and early August.

Children are cooling off by playing in the water playground.

Looking at the locations of these accidents during the same period, 32 cases (31%) occurred in rivers, marking the highest proportion. This was followed by valleys with 28 cases (27%), beaches with 24 cases (23%), and seashores with 20 cases (19%). The leading cause of these fatal accidents was poor swimming ability, accounting for 42 cases (40%). Other causes included lack of attention to safety (32 cases, 31%), swimming under the influence of alcohol (15 cases, 14%), being swept away by high waves or strong currents (9 cases, 9%), and incidents such as tube overturning (2 cases, 2%).

There were also a significant number of accidents related to gathering freshwater snails and tidal flat foraging during the summer. Over the most recent three-year period (2023–2025), a total of 32 people died while collecting freshwater snails between June and August, with half of those fatalities (16 people) occurring in August alone. Notably, a higher proportion of those who died while gathering freshwater snails were non-residents unfamiliar with the terrain (19 people, 59%) compared to local residents (11 people, 34%). Similarly, those who died during tidal flat foraging were also more likely to be from outside the area.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety emphasized the importance of strictly following basic safety guidelines, such as always wearing a life jacket and refraining from entering the water after drinking alcohol when engaging in water activities, freshwater snail gathering, or tidal flat foraging.

For safety while swimming or participating in water activities, individuals must never enter areas with deep water, strong currents, or those that are restricted or off-limits. Before entering the water, it is crucial to warm up and gradually wet the body starting from the limbs farthest from the heart before slowly entering the water. In addition, when gathering freshwater snails or foraging on tidal flats, at least two people must work together while wearing appropriate safety equipment to prevent accidents. It is also important to check the tidal schedule beforehand and leave the mudflats at least one hour before high tide to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on World Drowning Prevention Day (July 25) the results of its analysis of the "Emergency Room Injury Patient In-depth Investigation" data from 2021 to 2025. Of 505 patients who visited emergency rooms of 23 hospitals nationwide due to unintentional drowning accidents, 154 (30.5%) died. Drowning accidents were most common in the summer, accounting for 37.1% of cases by season. By month, August had the largest proportion at 14.5%, followed by June (11.7%) and July (10.9%).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.