Father dies trying to save daughter caught in river current in southern France
Mother and daughter were rescued whilst clinging on to branches along the Hérault river
The man, in his forties, was found by emergency services. Photo for illustrative purposes only
Andrei Metelev/Shutterstock
A man drowned in the Hérault river on Sunday (June 14) after jumping into the water to save his daughter who had been swept away by strong currents.
The incident took place along a stretch of the Hérault river in the Tressan commune where there are signs warning against swimming.
The man, in his forties, jumped in to save his daughter, said by local media to be aged around 10, as did her mother. However he was swept downstream by the currents.
Emergency services arriving on the scene recused the mother and daughter who were clinging to branches and took them to hospital.
The father’s body was found in the river. He had suffered a heart attack and could not be resuscitated.
Authorities warn against swimming in certain areas
The tragedy comes after several drowning deaths were reported in south-west France during May’s heatwaves.
As France enters a second major spell of hot weather, authorities are reminding people of best practices to avoid accidents in any body of water.
While the earlier deaths took place along beaches – where riptides can drag swimmers out to sea – rivers can also have dangerous currents.
During periods of flooding currents can become even more powerful. However even in calm weather they can be dangerous, hence certain areas being off-limits to swimmers.
Several stretches of the Hérault river are off-limits as powerful undercurrents can catch people off-guard and sweep them away even where the water is shallow enough to walk in.
Signs are up in these areas warning people not to enter.
Drones used to monitor some waterways
Some regional authorities are now using drones to monitor swimming in prohibited areas.
The Île-de-France region has been deploying drones since 2018 across lakes and rivers.
If people are seen in off-limit areas, security forces know their precise location and can intervene directly.
“In terms of responsiveness, it is incomparable,” said one drone operator to FranceInfo.
Drones are unable to be operated over areas where swimming is permitted due to no-fly rules and privacy requirements, but these areas may be staffed by lifeguards.
