# Briton among 4 dead on Valencia’s beaches



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

> A BRITISH man is one of four pensioners who died within hours of each other on beaches in the Valencian Region. A fifth pensioner’s life was saved.


read more here....Euro Weekly News | Briton among 4 dead on Valencia?s beaches | Costa Blanca South | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain


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## BewdleyDuck (Jun 22, 2011)

thats sort of misleading isnt it at first glance, although is more likely to be read than '4 geriatric complete strangers die miles apart in unrelated incidents'

(altho you might see that headline in Viz)


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

BewdleyDuck said:


> thats sort of misleading isnt it at first glance, although is more likely to be read than '4 geriatric complete strangers die miles apart in unrelated incidents'
> 
> (altho you might see that headline in Viz)


Quite. 

How about the Dutch woman who fell down a well near Nerja and was rescued today after 18 days!? 

Missing Dutch tourist rescued from well after 18 days News


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

BewdleyDuck said:


> thats sort of misleading isnt it at first glance, although is more likely to be read than '4 geriatric complete strangers die miles apart in unrelated incidents'
> 
> (altho you might see that headline in Viz)


in a way the fact that they were unrelated incidents sort of makes it worse, don't you think?

the original Spanish report I read had the headline _Lunes trágico con cuatro fallecidos en las playas valencianas_ Tragic monday with four deaths on valencian beaches

here's that report for those who read Spanish Lunes trágico con cuatro fallecidos en las playas valencianas - ABC.es


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Quite.
> 
> How about the Dutch woman who fell down a well near Nerja and was rescued today after 18 days!?
> 
> Missing Dutch tourist rescued from well after 18 days News


great that she's been found!!

thrax alerted us to it here


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

BewdleyDuck said:


> thats sort of misleading isnt it at first glance, although is more likely to be read than '4 geriatric complete strangers die miles apart in unrelated incidents'
> 
> (altho you might see that headline in Viz)


Yes, it could be misleading, but I don't think it really matters. It's pretty terrible news which ever way you look at it, isn't it? I seem to remember a few deaths off the beaches of Valencia last year. I don't think the Valencian coast is particularly trecherous. Perhaps people need to be more responsible for their own safety??


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, it could be misleading, but I don't think it really matters. It's pretty terrible news which ever way you look at it, isn't it? I seem to remember a few deaths off the beaches of Valencia last year. I don't think the Valencian coast is particularly trecherous. Perhaps people need to be more responsible for their own safety??


I think two were actually ON the beach, & one only a few feet out, so I think its more likely that the deaths were heat related than swimming- it has _very_ suddenly become hot & humid here

and you're right, the beaches aren't especiallydangerous, as you say, although our nearest beach in the Port does have one heck of an undertow

the death on the Arenal beach in Jávea is especially unlikely to be swimming related - it's a very well patrolled beach & you can walk out for a heck of a long way before the water even reaches your waist!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica;560837[QUOTE said:


> ]I I think its more likely that the deaths were heat related than swimming


-/QUOTE]

That's what I mean. There are a fair few people who think the beach is the best place to be from 12:00 - 18:00, and you know what? It isn't, especially for certain age groups, skin types, drinkers and unfit people of all ages and sizes. You'd think that at least the Spanish would be aware.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> That's what I mean. There are a fair few people who think the beach is the best place to be from 12:00 - 18:00, and you know what? It isn't, especially for certain age groups, skin types, drinkers and unfit people of all ages and sizes. You'd think that at least the Spanish would be aware.


you would, wouldn't you??

but it seems not to be the case

the first report I read in spanish didn't mention that one was a Brit- just says that four people died

it wasn't til I looked for an english-language report that I discovered that a brit was a victim

also, people don't seem to get that the temps keep on rising at least til 3pm & don't start dropping again for hours after that -& with the humidity here it's worse than just the heat - especially if you maybe have breathing problems


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Spain´s mortality rate is 8.8% so if the population is 46 million, that´s about 11,000 deaths a day. 

Given that it is peak holiday season maybe half a million people are likely to be on the beach (a conservative estimate?) so 130 people are statistically likely to die there each day. Even allowing for the fact that many deaths will take place in hospitals and old people´s homes, four is not a significant number.

Maths isn´t my strong point so do feel free to check this!


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Spain´s mortality rate is 8.8% so if the population is 46 million, that´s about 11,000 deaths a day.
> 
> Given that it is peak holiday season maybe half a million people are likely to be on the beach (a conservative estimate?) so 130 people are statistically likely to die there each day. Even allowing for the fact that many deaths will take place in hospitals and old people´s homes, four is not a significant number.
> 
> Maths isn´t my strong point so do feel free to check this!


I think that's the crude death rate expressed as number of deaths per thousand of the population. In 2009, around 383,000 people died. Divide this by 365 = 1049 per day. Maths fine, data wrong - out by a factor of 10. Even so your point is valid, 13 people likely to die on the beach. 

I expect someone will find something wrong with my method now...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jimenato said:


> I think that's the crude death rate expressed as number of deaths per thousand of the population. In 2009, around 383,000 people died. Divide this by 365 = 1049 per day. Maths fine, data wrong - out by a factor of 10. Even so your point is valid, 13 people likely to die on the beach.
> 
> I expect someone will find something wrong with my method now...


the maths teacher of the forum has put her calculator away for the summer


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