Forty-seven people drowned in Sweden in the month of July, as boaters and swimmers flocked to the country's lakes and coast in the unusually fine weather, the country's life saving society said Tuesday.
"The extremely warm summer has meant people are swimming far more than they do normally," Swedish Life Saving Society spokesman Goeran Ulsson told AFP.
Sweden enjoyed its warmest July since 1994, when the country recorded 50 drownings in the month, according to the Swedish Meterological and Hydrological Institute.
Despite Sweden's long coastline and thousands of lakes, Swedes have poor knowledge of water and its dangers, according to Ulsson.
"People lack the respect water demands. They have no awareness of themselves or their surroundings," Ulsson said.
The withdrawal of swimming lessons from Swedish schools in the late 1970s was another factor contributing to the deaths, he added.
