A total of 29 people drowned in Finland between January and April — that's more than twice the number recorded during the same period last year, according to the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (SUH).
The organisation's water safety expert Anne Hiltunen called the number "tragically high", noting the tally was the highest in years.
"There were significantly more cases involving people falling through ice or in near-miss situations than in previous years. In many incidents, more than one person was involved, and even minors have been in serious danger."
Of the drownings, 17 occurred after people fell through ice, one while swimming, and two after falling into water. In nine cases, the exact circumstances were unclear.
Hiltunen said changing weather and fluctuating temperatures have made it harder to judge ice safety. She said that people haven't taken warnings seriously enough.
"People are going out on the ice without proper equipment or physical capability," she said.
Of the drowning deaths in the beginning of the year, 11 occurred in Western and Inland Finland, eight in Southern Finland, four in Eastern Finland, three in Northern Finland, two in Southwest Finland, and one in Lapland.
Correction 10.5: An earlier version of the article incorrectly attributed the drowning deaths at the bottom of the article to 2024 when they occurred in 2025.
