A 37-year-old woman drowned on Sunday afternoon in the Durance, Iscles de Tarteau district, in Pertuis.
She obviously wanted to help another swimmer in difficulty, but she disappeared into the river.
Firefighters sent a team of water rescuers. Rescuers managed to locate the victim and pull her out of the water, but she was in cardio-respiratory arrest. She could not be revived.