site.btaOver 3,800 People Rescued from Drowning in Bulgaria Last Year, Bulgarian Red Cross Water Rescue Service Reports

In recent years, there has been a steady trend of reduction in water traumatism, and the fatal cases are below 100, said the Director of the Water Rescue Service of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) Anton Nalbantov at a press conference on the occasion of the traditional week of water rescue. 

For 2024, the total number of victims is 86, five of them children. So far this year there have been 16 cases of drowning, three of them at sea. 

The total number of people rescued from drowning last year was 3,873, he said. 

Nalbantov pointed out that the influx of tourists has increased and noted that thanks to the preventive activities of the Water Rescue Service, good results are being maintained. But it can always get better, he added.

A project with Roma health and education mediators in the country is also being worked on because of the higher percentage of fatal cases with children of Roma origin, Anton Nalbantov said, explaining that the last training of 20 children from Haskovo and Dobrich regions was completed in Sozopol.

The steady increase in the number of water lifeguards - between 800 and 1,000 a year, manages to provide the necessary 1,300-1,400 lifeguards on the sea beaches, he explained. Last year, 803 professional lifeguards and nine senior lifeguards were trained.

The door for water rescue training is open to all organisations involved in this activity. However, the BRC must attend all examinations for licenses to be obtained. In this way, we will meet the needs of the concessionaires of the sea beaches and they will not be forced to take chances with "fake lifeguards", said Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports and Chairman of the National Commission for Water Rescue Association Stoyan Andonov. 

Water rescue is a responsible structure, which employs people with big hearts, noted the chairman of the BRC Acad. Hristo Grigorov. Water rescuers are at extreme risk when rescuing people at sea. Let us wish that this year will be calm and that they will feel safer and more materially secured, he added.