In the summer of 2024, a total of 1,078 people, predominantly children, got lost along the coast. The number of reports soared, reaching up to 135 reported missing on the busiest days, according to figures requested by Flemish MP Gijs Degrande (N-VA).
The number of people reported (temporarily) missing during the summer months has shown fluctuating trends: 1,550 in 2022, 581 in 2023, and 1,078 in 2024.
Ostend and Blankenberg were hotspots, reporting 452 and 266 cases respectively in 2024. Most lost individuals were children aged between five and eight, but toddlers aged two and elderly people up to 85 also went astray.
Degrande highlighted increasing pressure on the Intermunicipal Lifeguard Service of West Flanders. Alongside rising numbers of missing persons, serious interventions with swimmers are also growing. Reduced swimming skills and ignorance of North Sea hazards contribute to this issue. Lifeguards increasingly rescue people who underestimate the sea's currents or stray from supervised zones, Degrande noted.
Between 2020 and 2024, two fatalities occurred in monitored zones during operational hours in Ostend (2021 and 2024). Additional drownings happened outside these hours or in unsupervised areas, including three in 2024 in Ostend and Blankenberg.
Degrande advocates broader, targeted awareness campaigns. Wristbands where guardians can write down contact information are distributed. However, data shows they are seldom used by children. "We need clear and early communication. Promoting wristband usage should be prioritised, particularly in train stations where many tourists arrive," Degrande stated.
