Gironde: July and August 2025 saw no drownings on the beaches

With 36 CRS water rescuers and municipal teams deployed along the coast, the Gironde ocean beaches had a summer without any drama. No deaths by drowning were recorded in July and August, the height of the season.

Despite the disappearance of a swimmer off Hourtin on Monday, September ¹ , the summer of 2025 will be marked by positive statistics on the Gironde coast. No fatal drownings were recorded in July and August. "It's a real relief, especially after the tragedies of 2024," emphasizes Cyril Lambert, national NS CRS Unsa Police representative. Deployed to seven rescue stations - from Soulac-sur-Mer to La Teste-de-Buch - the 36 CRS lifeguards plus the staff hired by the municipalities led an intense season , punctuated by rescue operations and beach policing.

In total, 149 interventions at sea brought 279 people back to dry land, in addition to 2,301 assistance to swimmers in difficulty in the supervised area. In terms of first aid, 249 medical evacuations were recorded, a 30% increase compared to 2024. Cyril Lambert attributes this increase to the combination of rip currents and injuries related to shore breaks. "We had several serious injuries, including vertebral fractures," he said. The teams sometimes extended their presence until 10:30 p.m., particularly during heatwaves.

Lifeguards also had to intervene further than the surveillance zones, sometimes up to two kilometers from the stations. "Overcrowded parking lots encourage people to swim in uncontrolled areas, outside of regulated areas," notes Cyril Lambert. In terms of legal matters, the NS-CRS recorded 51 common law offenses, mainly drug-related, and 22 people were taken into custody for insults or drunkenness. Two cases of sexual image recording on the beach also marked the season.

Cyril Lambert describes it as a "busy" season, balanced between rescue and police work. Finally, the union representative points out that local elected officials and parliamentarians have approached the Minister of the Interior to obtain a multi-year plan for the deployment of CRS personnel starting in 2026.