Analysis of Drownings 2009-2013

What do we REALLY know about death by drowning in Surrey?

Inspired by the initiative of Avon Branch, reported last year, we decided to create a database of the fatal drownings in Surrey in recent years.
Using a variety of searches, largely through Google, we were able to establish the details of 21 incidents over the 4 years from Nov 2009 to Oct 2013.
This may not be a complete list, as deaths of individuals with few relatives, an introvert lifestyle, and nothing suspicious (especially where the police feel that suicide is involved), may not be reported anywhere.
Often news items appear within hours of an incident, only to be followed by very little mention for months. Inquest findings may, or may not, be reported.
The full report is available here:Drownings in Surrey 2009-2013.

Two deaths (10%) were ‘victims of crime’ – infants drowned in their baths through the criminal negligence of their mothers.
All other deaths (19) were of males, and except for 4 of unknown age, all of these were over 16. 14 victims (66%) were over 30 years old.
Three deaths (14%) concerned Surrey residents on bespoke/expensive holidays abroad.
Locations involved were – 13 in rivers, 3 in lakes, 3 in the sea.
There was no predominant context – two were walking on ice, one attempting a rescue, three were swimmers in difficulty, three involved powered boats, one was a canoeist, and two are thought to have committed suicide.
Three were attempting to rescue dogs – all of which ‘saved’ themselves without assistance.
Deaths occurred throughout the year, though 12 (57%) happened in five months (June to October – 42% of the year).

In a local context, we hope that this will better inform our instructors.
Two groups appear slightly more vulnerable – dog walkers (14%) and people living on or beside rivers (24%) – in most cases these victims were also more mature. We are considering how to target these groups.
Three principle rivers were involved (Mole, Wey, and Thames). We are hoping to engage with the main stakeholders in these areas.
Our community has high net domestic income and is home to related travel companies. We are considering how to engage with these stakeholders to prevent further foreign tragedies.