13-Year-Old Boy Missing at Sea in Palavas-les-Flots: Search Operations Continue

The teenager was swept away by a wave on Sunday afternoon, despite a rapid emergency response.
Rough seas and weather conditions are complicating rescue efforts.

A 13-year-old boy remains missing this Monday, April 21, after being swept away by the sea in Palavas-les-Flots (Hérault) the previous day. The incident occurred around 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, while the teenager was swimming with his two brothers at the mouth of the Lez River. His disappearance was reported twenty minutes later, triggering a swift and large-scale rescue operation.

A helicopter from Civil Security, divers, a drone, rescue boats from the SNSM (Sea Rescuers), jet skis, and a canine team were all deployed throughout the afternoon. Despite the extensive resources mobilized both at sea and onshore, the boy had not been located by nightfall.

The search was suspended at 8:40 p.m. Sunday evening by the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture, and resumed early Monday morning at 7 a.m., led by the SNSM.

Sea conditions were particularly rough over the weekend, with waves reaching up to three meters, creating dangerous swimming conditions. The day before the incident, local authorities in Hérault and the harbor master’s office in Sète had issued warnings urging caution and had placed the department under a yellow alert.

A psychological support unit has been set up to assist the boy’s family during this difficult time. An investigation has been opened by the Montpellier prosecutor’s office and entrusted to the Hérault gendarmerie to determine the exact circumstances of the disappearance.