The number of young children reported missing along the Belgian coast increased significantly in July compared to last year, according to data released by coastal rescue service IKWV on Friday.
A total of 482 individuals went missing in July. While the figure includes some adults, particularly senior citizens and people with disabilities, the majority of cases involved children between four to eight years old. Comparatively, only 225 missing people incidents were recorded in July 2023.
The rescue service noted that crowd density at the beach is a "key factor" when it comes to such incidents, as parents and children are more likely to struggle to find each other.
Out of the total number of missing individuals, 290 were reported lost to lifeguards by their parents, grandparents, or guardians. Lifeguards found another 192 children on the beach after they lost sight of their parents.
Despite the increase in missing children, July was relatively calm in terms of lifeguard interventions, likely due to the occasionally poor weather conditions, explained IKWV. Around 40 major incidents, mostly concerning distressed swimmers or water sports enthusiasts, required lifeguard assistance.
