Police officer rescues three teenagers from drowning in France

An off-duty municipal police officer and local councilor, Sébastien Didry, rescued three adolescents from drowning off the coast of Saint-Jouin-Bruneval in Seine-Maritime on Monday, August 17.

While dining at a nearby restaurant, Didry spotted three teenagers, aged 14, 15, and 16, struggling in the sea due to strong currents. One girl managed to reach the shore alone, but her two companions were too exhausted to swim back. Didry immediately took a paddleboard to reach them, stating, “Either I went, or they would die.”

After a strenuous 40-minute effort to keep the youths afloat, Didry was assisted by a diver from a Civil Security helicopter, Dragon 76. The adolescents were brought to shore and taken to the Jacques-Monod Hospital in Le Havre. They were subsequently declared out of danger and did not require hospitalization.