Missing boy swept away by river

THE SEARCH continues today for a young boy who was carried away by strong currents after trying to retrieve a lost football from a river in the Drôme.

The 10-year-old, called Yasin, was playing with friends on Tuesday beside the Claires river in Saint-Rambert-d'Albon.

Firefighters and police divers have searched the area downstream but have yet to find the boy. A helicopter with thermal imaging technology patrolled the region overnight.

Up to 250 local residents have offered their help - and have also staged a demonstration calling for better security measures on the river banks.

The town's mayor said initial investigations suggest the young boy passed through a hole in the fencing and slipped on damp concrete, falling into the water.

He said that, given the strength of the current, even an adult would have struggled to avoid being swept away - and there were plans for a new play area to be built, away from the river.