Experts warn over drownings

Health experts are calling on citizens to show greater caution when swimming in the sea after official figures pointed to more than 400 deaths by drowning last year. 

A total of 413 deaths by drowning were recorded in Greece last year, compared to 400 in nearby Italy, whose population is nearly six times that of Greece. 

Most drownings occur at a distance of up to 10 meters from the shore, with relatively few recorded beyond 50 meters from land. 

According to the Hellenic Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, a big problem is swimmers overestimating their abilities.

It advises people never to swim alone, not to swim if they are in a bad physical or mental state, to wait three hours after a heavy meal, and never to swim under the influence of alcohol or drugs.