The National Maritime Authority (NMA) presented the balance of bathing assistance provided between May 1 and August 31, 2026, recording 22 fatalities, 1285 rescues and 2359 first aid actions during this period. During the month of August alone, 5 fatalities occurred, 417 rescues and 753 first aid actions. A missing swimmer since August 28 was also recorded at Ursa beach in Sintra.
Of the 22 fatalities recorded, 12 resulted from drowning, 9 from sudden illness and 1 from unknown cause. Regarding the distribution by type of beach, 8 fatal accidents occurred on guarded maritime beaches, 8 on unguarded maritime beaches, 4 on out-of-season beaches and 2 in other unguarded maritime areas. The deaths were distributed across various dates between May and August, in locations including Peniche, Almada, Sesimbra, Mértola, Douro, Lagos, Sines, Cascais, Esposende and Setúbal.
The NMA reinforces that there is still a significant number of beaches without active surveillance and calls for compliance with several safety recommendations. Among the main recommendations are frequenting permanently guarded beaches, permanently supervising children, respecting signage and the instructions of lifeguards, avoiding sun exposure during the hottest hours between 11am and 5pm, respecting digestion periods before entering the water and, in case of emergency, not entering the water and calling the lifeguard or contacting 112.
