During the summer of 2025, 762 people were reported missing along the Belgian coast, nearly a third fewer than the 1,165 cases recorded in 2024.
Most of the incidents occurred in Ostend (278) and Blankenberge (177), according to parliamentary data shared on Monday.
Emergency intervention procedures, designed for disappearances or distress at sea, were activated only nine times last summer, compared to 41 times in 2024.
Lifeguards responded to 585 incidents involving swimmers and water sports enthusiasts, with 130 of these interventions successfully saving lives.
First aid posts along the coast assisted 7,910 visitors during the summer season.
The decline in incidents is attributed in part to prevention campaigns by the West Flanders Tourism Office, Westtoer, along with messages on trains heading to the coast, encouraging swimming in supervised areas, and equipping children with ID bracelets.
