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Briançon 'Mattress Surfing' Death: Driver Placed Under Supervision, Set to Be Summoned to Court

Prosecutors say the 18-year-old acknowledged responsibility, prompting renewed calls to remove videos pushing the stunt from social platforms.

Overview

  • The 14-year-old drowned on October 24 after being thrown into the Cerveyrette while riding a mattress towed by a car during a social-media challenge.
  • An inquiry for involuntary manslaughter is ongoing, and the driver has been placed under judicial supervision pending a summons to the correctional court in Gap.
  • Investigators say a bed base was hitched to the vehicle and the teen was ejected when the car executed a U-turn, with his body recovered downstream the next day.
  • A 17-year-old was briefly held to assess possible complicity, with custody lifted while prosecutors review the file concerning the minor.
  • Authorities report the driver was licensed, the car insured, and no alcohol or narcotics were detected, as local tributes and child-protection advocates press platforms to remove similar challenge content.