During the first nine months of 2026, eight children died from drowning in the Canary Islands, with five of these incidents occurring in the summer, according to the Association for the Prevention of Aquatic Accidents, 1500 Km de Costa. This marks the highest number of child drowning fatalities recorded in the last decade.
The most recent incident involved a three-year-old girl of Asian descent who drowned in a holiday home swimming pool in Tinajo, Lanzarote, while on vacation with her family. Earlier this month, a five-year-old boy was initially stabilised by emergency services after drowning in a hotel pool in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, but sadly passed away hours later at the Materno Infantil Hospital in Gran Canaria.
September also saw two other incidents involving children in aquatic environments, one resulting in a moderate injury and another where a child was rescued unharmed. In total, 31 minors have suffered accidents in the islands’ aquatic settings this year, with outcomes including eight deaths, eleven serious injuries, five moderate injuries, two minor injuries, and five unharmed individuals.
Sebastián Quintana, president of 1500 Km de Costa, noted that a lack of adult supervision is the leading cause of drowning deaths among children, especially in private swimming pools, with peak incidents occurring in the early afternoon.
Overall, 55 people have drowned in the Canary Islands this year, up 15% compared to the same period in 2025 when 48 deaths were recorded. September was the deadliest month, with 10 fatalities, followed by July with eight, and both January and February with seven each.
In the last 30 days, 26 individuals have reported various degrees of injuries from aquatic accidents. This includes one person in critical condition, four seriously injured, four moderately injured, and seven rescued without harm.
So far in 2023, there have been a total of 183 reported victims from aquatic accidents, including 14 individuals in critical condition, 30 severely injured, 27 moderately injured, 23 with minor injuries, and 34 rescues. The average monthly rate of fatal drownings remains at six.
Notably, 42% of those who drowned in the Canary Islands, along with 32% of all victims, chose to enter the sea during pre-warnings or warnings issued by the government due to adverse coastal conditions. Of the adults who drowned, 20 were foreign nationals from 11 different countries, including British, German, and French nationals, among others.
Tenerife accounted for the highest number of drowning fatalities at 20, more than double that of Fuerteventura with 11. Other islands, including Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, saw 10 and 7 fatalities respectively.
The majority of drowning incidents occurred in the afternoon (61%), with 22% in the morning, and a small percentage at night or without specified timing. Beaches remain the most common location for these tragic incidents, constituting 61% of cases, followed by ports and coastal areas at 23%, pools at 9%, and natural pools at 7%.
