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A teenage girl accidentally drowned while swimming at the popular bathing spot Sandåkerhølen in Gjerstad, in Agder county in southern Norway, yesterday evening.
Police received reports just before 19:00 Norwegian time that the current in the lake had carried the girl away, but her two friends then informed nearby residents, who called the police.
Rescue and ambulance helicopters were on the scene and crews including divers from the Arendal and Jerstad fire brigades provided first aid to the girl when she was found, but all was not well.
Local police commander on the scene, Øyvind Fagerli, said the ambulance helicopter from Arendal had difficulty getting the necessary equipment but the response team had done their best.
Most drownings in eight years
Including this accident, there have been 42 drownings in Norway as of 2024, if statistics from the Norwegian maritime rescue team Redningsselskapet, which has been operating in Norway since 1893, are included.
Eight people drowned in June, but the highest number of drownings in Norway is recorded in July, when the summer holiday season is at its peak and temperatures are considered ideal for swimming in lakes and the sea. Most people drown after falling into the sea or water from land or recreational boats.
In the first quarter of this year, 20 people drowned in Norway, the highest number for the quarter in eight years. Of these, 17 were men, nine of whom were over 60 years old, which is in line with statistics in recent years showing that men over 60 are the most common victims of drowning in Norway.
416 drownings in 2019–2023
According to the Redningsselskapet report, 416 people drowned in Norway between 2019 and 2023, an average of 83 per year, and last year there were 88. Of all drownings in that period, 39% of the victims were aged 61. Of those aged 61 or older, 87% were men and 13% were women, and six out of ten were alone when they drowned.
Taking into account the three most common causes, of the 416 people who drowned during the five-year period, 39% fell from land, 27% fell from recreational boats and 13% drowned while swimming.
Considering the three most common scenarios, the majority, or 58%, drowned in the sea, 21% in lakes, and 19% in rivers.
Redningsselskapet report for the period 2019-2023
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