Disappearance of Agathe Hilairet: Search Efforts Intensify in the Woodlands of Vienne

Since the morning of Thursday, April 10, Agathe Hilairet, 28, has been missing after going for a run in the wooded areas near Vivonne, south of Poitiers. Her father, concerned after receiving no news, alerted the authorities. A formal investigation into her “worrying disappearance” was promptly opened and assigned to the Poitiers criminal investigation unit.

A Major Search Operation Underway

An extensive search operation has been deployed across a large rural area that includes the towns of Vivonne, Voulon, Celle-Lévescault, and Gençay. Gendarmes, military personnel, canine units, the gendarmerie’s water rescue team, a thermal-imaging helicopter, local jogging club volunteers, and dozens of civilian helpers are all working together to comb through the dense, difficult terrain.

The search is also supported by technical tools: phone tracking data, relay tower signals, and GPS information are being analyzed to cross-reference with the testimonies collected. Agathe’s phone was last located on Thursday afternoon within a 250-meter radius between two hamlets: “Les Grands Ormeaux” and “Le Champ Salaud.”

Witnesses, Leads, and a Community on Edge

Since the public appeal for information was issued on Friday, around thirty people have contacted investigators. Nearly a dozen of them, including relatives and potential witnesses, have already been interviewed. The information provided is currently being processed and compared with technical data.

So far, no citizen search party has been officially organized by the local authorities, who are closely monitoring the situation. “The gendarmerie is leading the operation,” said Vivonne mayor Marie-Rose Bertaud, noting the tense atmosphere in the town, now filled with rescue teams, media presence, and helicopters.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, visiting the region, emphasized that “everything is being done” to find the young woman. “This is a worrying disappearance. Security forces have been mobilized for over 24 hours,” he stated, urging caution and discretion as the investigation continues.