Sea swimmer dies in south-west France after being swept away by rip currents
The man was swimming off the coast of the Landes department
The incident took place on a beach in Capbreton
JACKY CAUDRON/Shutterstock.
A man drowned off the Atlantic coast on June 7 after being caught in strong currents in the Landes department while the area was under a vigilance alert.
The incident took place on a beach in Capbreton. The man, reported to be in his 30s and local, died despite the rapid intervention of emergency services, reports the prefecture of the Landes.
He was in a non-supervised bathing area at a time when the department was under reinforced vigilance due to dangerous rip currents (courant d’arrachement), which can quickly carry swimmers out to sea.
In a press release, the prefect of the Landes, Gilles Clavreul, called on the public to show “the greatest vigilance” and to strictly respect safety instructions.
The prefecture also published guidance on X, jointly with other prefectures in the region, explaining what to do if caught in a current. The advice is to remain calm, avoid panicking, and float on the surface rather than fighting the current. Swimmers are encouraged to lie on their back where possible in order to conserve energy and signal for help.
The prefecture also reiterated essential safety rules, including:
• Swimming in supervised areas between the yellow and red flags, and avoiding swimming if supervised areas are not available
• Constantly supervising children near or in the water
• Taking personal fitness into account and not overestimating swimming ability
• Respecting warning signs, beach flags, and lifeguard instructions
• Entering the water gradually and avoiding prolonged sun exposure beforehand
• Checking local bathing conditions and specific coastal risks, particularly rip currents
The tragedy comes amid a series of drownings in south-west France in recent weeks, including incidents in the Gironde department, where swimmers have also been caught in similar currents. Authorities continue to warn that many beaches in the region are unmonitored or only partially supervised, especially early in the season.
