Accidental Drowning Fatalities in Scotland. Males aged 60 – 69
Every year an average of 50 people accidentally drown in Scotland, with men aged 60-69 being most at risk, according to a RoSPA assessment of data.
This report focuses on Water Incident Database (WAID) data over a five-year period from 2012 to 2016 and looks specifically at males aged 60 – 69 in Scotland.
This analysis has revealed a number of key points regarding 60 to 69-year-old males:
- There were 35 fatalities during the five-year period
- Accidental drownings accounted for 80 per cent of this figure
- The average age of a fatality was 65
- Half of the accidental fatalities happened at the coast
- More than one third of incidents happened in spring. Thursdays and Saturdays were the most common day for a fatality
- 90 per cent of fatalities happened during the daytime
- Approximately 6 in 10 accidental fatalities were the result of recreational water activities
- Angling is the leading cause of recreational drowning fatalities
- Alcohol was suspected in 14 per cent of cases
- Around half of the fatalities were alone prior to the incident
- Exactly half of the fatalities were classified as local.