A few years ago, it was reported that between 2009 and 2011, 51 people drowned in the canals of Amsterdam.[ref]This article was first published January 9, 2012. It is updated on a regular basis.[/ref]
Local daily De Telegraaf noted that only one of those casualties occurred as the result of a crime.
The other 50 drownings were ruled accidents. The vast majority of them involved men, and according to the newspaper ostensibly 'most of them were drunk' when they fell in while relieving themselves.
His body was recovered from Herengracht on February 1, 2016. The circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been determined. [ref]On February 12 police reported, via local TV station AT5, that Richard Cole's mobile phone was stolen shortly before he died. According to the police, the people who robbed him (caught on surveillance camera) are not directly suspected of having been involved in his death. Police says Mr. Cole was "very drunk, which made him an easy target." A short time later, cameras capture Mr. Cole crawling, along Herengracht canal. A taxi passes him, stops and reverses. Thirty seconds later the taxi continues, and Mr. Cole soon rolls into the water.[/ref]
Once someone has fallen into the water it is difficult to get out -- even if the unlucky person is not inebriated.
Most quays are quite high, and there are not many ladders or jetties. In addition, many canals are free of house boats, sloops and dinghies that someone would be able to hold or climb onto.
In the past there used to be life saving equipment -- such as swimming hooks, lifelines and lifebuoys -- attached to bridges, but vandalism and theft made an end to that.
Members of the Socialist Party, SP, have been calling for the installation of lifelines and ladders along the canals.
Statistics: Drowning deaths in Amsterdam
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‘Assassin,’ Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool headlines (February 6, 2016) [ref]Maarten van Dun, Waarom waarschuwt niemand? (Why does no one warn?), Het Parool, February 6, 2016[/ref][/caption]
"Why do we not warn tourists of the dangers of the canal?" Amsterdam daily Het Parool asks, in an article headlined 'Sluipmoordenaar' - Assassin.
But how many people -- both locals and tourists -- actually drown in Amsterdam's canals?
In 2015 Tobias van Dijk, a researcher with the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD), studied drowning incidents in the city.
He reports that each year more than 30 people drown in Amsterdam's open water (including canals, lakes, rivers, ditches, swimming pools, and garden ponds).
About ¼ (7.5 if you take 30 as an average) -- say, seven or eight -- drown in a canal.
But on average 'only' 3 people a year are presumed to have drowned while peeing into a canal. That conclusion is usually based on the state of the victim's clothes (e.g. open zipper or pants undone).[ref]Drownings are no laughing matter. However, the initial report about the number of people who fell into a canal while attempting to relieve themselves led someone to create a satirical video: 'Safe ways to pee into the canals of Amsterdam.'[/ref]
Van Dijk notes that forensic research into the actual circumstances surrounding a drowning is complicated.
Note: various media outlets recently reported that, according to figures provided by the police, 'some 15 bodies a year' are found in the canals.
However, the Parool article mentioned above says
Every year police finds about ten 'water cadavers' in the canals.
Police usually do not have to take long to determine the cause. The drowning victims are sometimes found with their fly still undone.
"People who pee into the canals usually are not Amsterdam locals."
Police spokesman Rob van der Veen is well-informed regarding the drowning cases. "Often the victims are intoxicated when they leave the warm pub and get out into the cold. When you then go and pee, your blood pressure drops, making you dizzy. That can easily result in a fall."
- Source: Maarten van Dun, Waarom waarschuwt niemand? (Why does no one warn?), Het Parool, February 6, 2016
So we've got three different numbers when it comes to how many people a year drown in Amsterdam's canals:
7 or 8 (GGD)
'some 15' (news media citing numbers 'provided by the police')
'about 10' (Het Parool, citing a police spokesman)
There may not be that much difference between these statistics, but each drowning death is one too many.
'10' is probably the most reliable number, given that Van Dijk's numbers are based on a percentage of 'more than 30 people' who drown in all of Amsterdam's open water.
By the way, online forums -- such as the ones provided by TripAdvisor -- often perpetuate incorrect information. In what essentially is an game of 'Chinese Whispers' facts and other details of a news story often get changed or embellished. The only remedy is to to trace the story back to a reliable source.
On a lighter note...
Speaking about safety measures -- or the lack thereof -- police spokesperson Rob van deer Veen says there is one solution that always works: "People should not pee into a canal."
And Australian comedian Steve Hughes explains why Amsterdam's canals do not have fences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAnGYfnFz9I
See also the tongue-in-cheek, Safe ways to pee into the canals of Amsterdam
Canal swimming not recommended
Amsterdam has 165 canals — with a combined length of 100 KM (60 Miles).
While revelers sometimes jump in of their own accord, swimming in the canals -- while not illegal -- is discouraged.
For one thing, there is there quite a lot of boat traffic on most canals.
For another, those who'd like to swim a few rounds should realize that a few hundred of Amsterdam's houseboats are yet to be connected to the city's sewer system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITFJuuehR1s
Hence, people rescued from the canals are always strongly encouraged to get a tetanus shot.
That said, the ambition of Waternet -- the Water authority in Amsterdam and surroundings -- is to someday have the canal water of Amsterdam clean enough for people to swim in.
What to do if you fall into a canal
Do not panic, but yell 'HELP!' as loud as you can! This is no time for pride.
The record shows that, yes, you will attract plenty of morons who will capture your predicament on their smartphones. But there will also be people who will try and rescue you.