More Than 3800 Rescued from Drowning in the Country Last Year

Over 3,800 people were saved from drowning last year, showing a consistent decline in water-related injuries, according to the Water Rescue Service of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC).

“In recent years, there has been a steady trend of decreasing water-related accidents, with fatal cases below 100,” said Anton Nalbantov, director of the BRC Water Rescue Service, during the traditional Water Rescue Week.

In 2024, there were a total of 86 drowning fatalities, including five children. So far this year, there have been 16 drowning incidents, three of which occurred at sea. The total number of people rescued from drowning last year was 3,873.

Nalbantov noted that tourist arrivals have increased and emphasized that thanks to the preventive work of the Water Rescue Service, good results have been maintained, though there is always room for improvement.

He also mentioned a project involving Roma health and education mediators across the country, aimed at addressing the higher fatality rate among Roma children. Recently, training was completed for 20 children from the Haskovo and Dobrich regions in Sozopol.

The steady increase in the number of water rescuers — between 800 and 1,000 annually — has ensured the necessary 1,300–1,400 rescuers on the seaside beaches, Nalbantov explained. Over the past year, 803 professional rescuers and nine senior rescuers have been trained.