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Dangerous Currents Kill Two on France’s Atlantic Coast

Gironde officials said strong rip currents have made bathing especially hazardous and urged maximum vigilance as rescue teams stay active.

Overview

  • Authorities confirmed on Sunday that a 56-year-old German woman was swept to her death by a strong current at Lège-Cap-Ferret and that a man of about 60 died near Lacanau.
  • The Gironde prefecture said rescue teams have pulled 31 people from dangerous currents since Friday and have renewed a public warning calling for maximum vigilance.
  • Unusually hot Pentecost weekend weather pushed many people to southwest beaches, and officials linked the higher attendance to increased exposure to rip currents.
  • Local emergency services remain on alert and continue patrols and rescue operations as conditions at sea are described as particularly dangerous by authorities.
  • Reporters and officials noted this is not the season's only fatal bathing incident after a separate drowning in Mallorca about a month earlier, highlighting wider early-season risks for swimmers and would-be rescuers.