A child under the age of 15 drowned at a swimming hole in Kempele on Saturday, prompting the municipality to close the beach's diving tower until further notice.
The drowning follows another fatal incident at the same site in June last year, when an adult man died after jumping into the water.
Kempele's sports services manager, Eero Kauppi, described Saturday's drowning as "an incredibly sad incident" and said it was appropriate to keep the diving tower closed while the municipality reviews safety at the site.
Discussions have already begun on what more can be done to improve safety at the swimming spot.
Kauppi noted that the diving tower was installed around the turn of the millennium to improve safety after people had previously jumped into the water from nearby cliffs.
The swimming hole is supervised only on weekdays, while the diving tower is located on the opposite side from the main beach. There are no platforms or piers beside the tower, meaning swimmers must make their way to a steep staircase after entering the water.
Kauppi said warning signs and restrictions alone cannot prevent people from jumping.
"Of course, this is a reminder that diving can be dangerous and of what can happen in the worst case," he noted.
Fatal diving tower accidents remain uncommon
Despite the two recent tragedies in Kempele, fatal accidents involving public diving towers are rare.
According to Konsta Kulmala, a senior officer at the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes), only three people have drowned in incidents involving diving towers since 2017.
Each year, around 100–150 people drown in Finland, with roughly half of those deaths occurring during the summer months.
Anne Hiltunen, a water safety expert at the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (SUH), said diving from a properly maintained municipal diving tower is generally considered safer than jumping from bridges or natural cliffs.
However, she warned that entering the water in the wrong position can cause serious injuries or a brief loss of consciousness, even for experienced swimmers.
Hiltunen added that people should only jump if they are confident swimmers, and can swim out of the site.
She said municipalities' diving facilities are regularly inspected and maintained, and she does not believe public diving towers should be removed because of isolated accidents.
Swimming skills remain an important safety factor
Water safety experts have also highlighted the importance of swimming ability.
A 2022 survey by Aula Research commissioned by SUH found that around four percent of adults in Finland cannot swim at all, while 44 percent can swim no more than 50 metres. The benchmark for swimming ability in Finland is 200 metres.
Previous Yle reporting has found that lack of swimming skills remains a particular challenge for some adults, especially among immigrant communities.