Seventeen die on Portuguese beaches between May and July – Portugal Resident

Seventeen deaths, 868 rescues and 1,606 first-aid interventions on Portuguese beaches is the balance sheet of the National Maritime Authority (AMN) for the three months of the 2026 bathing season, it was released today.

In a statement, the AMN (National Maritime Authority) recorded “868 rescues, 1,606 first-aid actions and 17 fatalities on Portuguese beaches” from “May 1st to July 31st”, of which 12 were due to drowning and five due to sudden illness.

In the distribution by probable cause of death, three drowning accidents occurred “on supervised beaches, five on unsupervised beaches, two on beaches outside the bathing season that did not have lifeguard cover at the time of the accident, and two in unsupervised maritime areas.”

Of the five fatal accidents due to sudden illness, three occurred “in other unsupervised maritime areas and two on maritime beaches outside the bathing season, which were not supervised at the time of the accident,” according to the AMN (National Maritime Authority).

When broken down by beach type, three deaths occurred on supervised beaches, eight on unsupervised beaches, four on beaches outside the bathing season, and two in other unsupervised maritime areas.

The deaths, on supervised beaches, were recorded at Peneco and São Rafael beaches (Portimão), and Ourigo beach (Douro), and were all due to drowning.

According to the AMN , fatal accidents on unsupervised beaches occurred in Lagoa de Albufeira Interior (Setúbal), one due to sudden illness and another due to drowning, on a river / lake beaches, two in Azenhas do Guadiana (Mértola), on a river or lake beach, on Ilha Morraceira de Lanhelas (Caminha), Praia de Porto Dinheiro (Peniche), and on the beaches of Cabeço (Vila Real de Santo António) and São Torpes Sul (Sines), these last two due to sudden illness.

Outside of the bathing season, on unsupervised beaches at the time of the accident, deaths were recorded on the beaches of Molhe Leste (Peniche) and Ourigo, due to sudden illness, and on the beaches of Dragão Vermelho (Almada) and Bitetos (Douro), due to drowning.

In its statement, AMN recommends frequenting “permanently supervised beaches” to “constantly supervise children” and “respect the flag signals, beach markings, and the instructions of lifeguards, law enforcement officers, and personnel reinforcing beach surveillance.”

Bathers should also “not expose themselves unnecessarily to risk”, respect “digestion periods and not enter cold water suddenly, in order to avoid abrupt thermal shocks”, avoid “the hours of greatest sun exposure (11:00-17:00)” and, “in case of emergency, not enter the water” , “call the lifeguard” or dial 112.

According to the decree identifying “coastal and transitional bathing waters and inland bathing waters” for 2026, the Portuguese Environment Agency identified 671 bathing waters in Portugal, of which 523 are on the mainland, 88 in the Azores autonomous region and 60 in Madeira.

Source: LUSA