The maritime prefecture announces that a major search operation took place this Thursday in Marseille. In effect, a 15-year-old boy disappeared at sea for several hours.
Significant resources mobilized
Left to swim around 3:15 p.m. from Bonneveine beach, he never returned. Worried, his parents then alerted the emergency services around 5:30 p.m. Significant resources are quickly mobilized : a civil security helicopter Dragon 131, a 1st class speedboat SNS 152 Good Mother of Marseilles from the Marseille SNSM station, a P619 maritime gendarmerie patrol boat Huveaune, several boats from the Marins-Pompiers de Marseille battalion, a team of divers from the Marins-Pompiers de Marseille battalion and a Dauphin helicopter from the French Navy Cheetah Victor of the 35F flotilla from Hyères.
Found in hypothermia
The first coastal investigations carried out proving unsuccessful, CROSS Med then decided to extend the research to the entire area between the Frioul islands and the Marseille coast. The young bather is finally spotted shortly after 9 p.m. 300 meters off the beach of Huveaune. He’s hypothermic.”advanced” and swallowed a lot of water. After being brought back to the port of Pointe Rouge, a medical check-up was carried out. The teenager was not ultimately hospitalized.
The maritime prefecture recalls the safety instructions
Even if the circumstances of this disappearance are not yet known, the maritime prefecture of the Mediterranean takes the opportunity in its press release to recall “some tips” in order to practice an activity at sea in the best safety conditions :
- Do not go alone, or tell a loved one of your place of launch, the estimated time of return, etc. so that he can, in case of concern, contact the CROSS Med by VHF (channel 16) or by telephone (196)
- Have a luminous means to be able to report at night in all circumstances to search means
- Have a waterproof means of communication with a charged battery to reach CROSS Med if necessary by VHF (channel 16) or by telephone (196)
- Check the weather in the area and do not overestimate your resources and abilities if the conditions are not compatible with your level