Missing child in Berck: a small body found on a beach, “probably” that of the boy

A small body was discovered by a bather on Saturday afternoon, August 17, in Stella-Plage, in Pas-de-Calais, “probably” that of the boy who disappeared Thursday in the Channel in Berck, the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor told France Bleu Nord. An autopsy must be performed. An investigation to find the causes of death has been opened.

For 48 hours, a search was underway to find a missing child in Berck, 10 kilometers from Stella Plage. Around 5 p.m. on Thursday, three children who were swimming in a supervised area found themselves in difficulty. Two of them, aged 10 and 13, were rescued, but not the last one. It was the 10-year-old child, the twin of the missing child, who raised the alarm.

Berck beach was evacuated late Thursday afternoon to allow emergency services to intervene. A helicopter and a drone flew over the area. A dog team was also mobilised. Searches were carried out at sea in the evening and during the night, but also on the coast, as they could not be carried out in the Channel at night. The operation was lifted at 4am before being reactivated on Friday morning.