Into the pool with their heads: children have become more likely to die while swimming in reservoirs

A criminal case was opened on August 13 in the Krasnodar Territory over the death of a 14-year—old teenager who drowned a day earlier in the Kuban River during rowing practice. According to the Izvestia source, the coach allowed him to swim in a forbidden place. Across Russia, 232 children drowned this summer, which is almost 13% more than in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Tragedies most often occur due to parental oversight and swimming on unequipped beaches. At the same time, children drown not only in rivers and seas. Barrels of rainwater in the country, decorative ponds and pools become deadly traps. How to avoid a tragedy is in the Izvestia article.

Why do children drown

On August 13, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced the initiation of a criminal case after the death of a teenager in Krasnodar. He came to rowing lessons, decided to take a dip with the coach's permission, and drowned. The case is qualified under the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on causing death by negligence.

"The defendant allowed a 14-year-old teenager to rowing classes, who was not officially enrolled in an additional education institution, and did not give him appropriate safety instructions, as well as did not provide him with a life jacket. As a result, the minor drowned while performing the exercise," the report says.

It is worth noting that swimming in the Kuban River, as well as in other reservoirs in Krasnodar, was banned by local authorities at the end of July due to the water quality. But many residents ignore this warning.

This is far from the first tragedy involving children in Russian reservoirs. Since June 1, 1.2 thousand people have drowned, including 232 children, the Ministry of Emergency Situations told Izvestia. The number of child deaths increased by 12.6% compared to the same period in 2025, when there were 206 deaths.

At the same time, the total number of victims and accidents on the water is decreasing. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 1.4 thousand accidents occurred in June-July 2026, and 1.6 thousand in the same months of last year.

The main cause of death remains swimming in unequipped places and under the influence of alcohol, the Ministry of Emergency Situations noted, while only 14 people, four of them children, have died on specially equipped beaches since the beginning of this bathing season.

The number of tragedies on the water is primarily due to disregard for basic safety rules, Maxim Dzhetygenov, head of the Moscow city branch of the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps, confirmed to Izvestia.

— Most often, people drown due to swimming in unequipped places where the bottom has not been examined, and there are no rescuers nearby, — he said. — Many people drink, ignore the warning signs and overestimate their strength.

Even experienced swimmers can get into a dangerous situation due to an underwater current, whirlpool or sudden cramp, the expert warned. According to him, the lack of control over children by the water also poses a serious threat.

On the same day as in Krasnodar, on August 12, a tragedy occurred near Novosibirsk — a teenager drowned in front of his friends. The boys went to the river secretly from their parents. A few days earlier, a two-year-old child drowned in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, left unattended. In Baltiysk, on August 9, a father died while rescuing his little daughter from the water. Literally on the same day, two brothers from Chechnya drowned in the river when they tried to pull their friend out.

Over the course of circumstances: almost 900 people have drowned in Russia since the beginning of summer

There could have been more victims, but 310 vacationers were rescued by the staff of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Children are especially vulnerable in water: their lung volume is smaller and their subcutaneous fat level is lower, which contributes to rapid hypothermia, said Ivan Lisichenko, head of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at the Uniclinic Medical Center.

"Tragedies are often caused by adult oversight," the doctor admitted. — A child can go under water in 20-60 seconds. "I just looked away" is a classic phrase that parents say later. Instead of keeping an eye on the children, they are busy on the phone, talking to friends and barbecue.

According to the expert, when relaxing on the water, children under the age of seven should be close to adults — at arm's length. Armbands, vests, and inflatable circles only create the illusion of safety: they can flip over, deflate, or slip out.

— Children drown not only in seas and rivers, — Ivan Lisichenko added. — Barrels of rainwater in the countryside, decorative ponds, swimming pools, manholes and construction pits can become deadly traps. The children get very scared, take an involuntary deep breath and choke, not having time to call for help.

If a child has swallowed water, it is necessary to go to the hospital immediately, otherwise he may develop pulmonary edema, the doctor warned.

Hazards in the water

Vacationers often get serious and sometimes fatal injuries when diving in unfamiliar places, Ivan Lisichenko said.

"Traumatic brain injuries and spinal injuries are the leaders in severity of the consequences," he noted. — Such patients often remain disabled for life. And when jumping into the water like a soldier or being hit by a strong wave, the eardrums may rupture. At best, there will be temporary hearing loss, and at worst, the infection will enter the inner ear.

The next most common danger in the water is foot wounds and cuts that can lead to tetanus. At the same time, alcohol is the main catalyst for tragedies, the doctor believes.

— Up to 70% of drowned men were in an altered state while swimming, — Ivan Lisichenko emphasizes. — It seems to a drunk that he can easily swim across a wide river, although his coordination is already disrupted, the feeling of fear and distance disappears.

When abruptly immersed in cold water, blood vessels constrict, alcohol dilates them — this can lead to reflex cardiac or respiratory arrest, the doctor warned.

You can not dive into the water immediately after sunbathing in the sun, said the therapist, deputy chief physician of the network of clinics "K + 31" Svetlana Kanevskaya. Before bathing, you should stay in the shade for a few minutes, then moisten your hands, chest and neck with water.

"A sudden plunge into the river after overheating can cause a cold shock," she told Izvestia. — This condition is accompanied by rapid and poorly controlled breathing, tachycardia, and panic. This reaction is especially dangerous in the first minutes: a person can inhale water and drown, even if they can swim well.

Duck stories: what is the danger of swimming in polluted water

Doctors told us what health problems can be earned if you do not follow personal hygiene.

If a cold shock occurs, it is safer to lie on your back first, regain control of your breathing, and then slowly move to the shore or call for help.

— You should swim only where the water quality is regularly monitored, — Svetlana Kanevskaya emphasized. — This significantly reduces the risk of contact with dangerous currents, unexpected depths, and underwater objects. In addition, natural water may contain microorganisms that can cause infections if accidentally ingested.

According to Andrey Kostechko, a therapist at the Yusupov Hospital, while bathing, you can get rotavirus and enterovirus infections that cause diarrhea, vomiting and fever, as well as hepatitis A.

— Very often people get sick with cercariasis, or bather's itch, which is carried by waterfowl, ducks for example. The larvae of the parasites penetrate the skin, causing a burning sensation and a rash, the doctor said.

How to protect yourself and your loved ones

To avoid disaster by the reservoir, it is important to choose only official beaches where the bathing area is marked with buoys and the bottom is checked by specialists, Maxim Dzhetygenov said.

— You need to be especially careful with children: do not leave them unattended for a minute, even if they are confident in the water, — the expert emphasized. — You should also avoid diving in unfamiliar places, do not swim behind buoys, do not play dangerous games and do not swim in stormy weather or if you feel unwell.

In addition, parents need to teach their children the rules of behavior in extreme situations, such as convulsions or falling into a whirlpool, as well as how to properly call for help and where to call.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations noted that employees of the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels organize preventive measures to prevent accidents. 46,000 patrols of water bodies have been conducted this year. In addition, employees of the GIMS of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia conducted 58,000 classes with children and staff in health camps, kindergartens and schools, as well as in social service institutions. The number of children covered by these preventive measures increased to 1.66 million over the year.