Despite the lack of sun, more people drowned this summer

Despite the poor weather for much of the summer, 15 people drowned swimming in lakes and the sea, the Dutch life guard association said on Tuesday.

On average, eight people die by drowning across the summer months. While there is no clear reason for the increase, the weather did have an impact on sea conditions, creating more currents and higher waves, the organisation said.

There are also indications that people cannot swim as well as they used to because many schools have stopped including swimming lessons in the curriculum. Immigrants are also less likely to be able to swim well, the organisation, which has previously called for swimming lessons for new arrivals, said.

In total, life guards were called out 3,810 times, which is less than in previous years. They dealt with 176 life-threatening situations.

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