French Basque Coast: Two German tourists drown at unmonitored beaches

Two German tourists, aged 53 and 80, drowned on Wednesday at different beaches along the French Basque Coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region. Both incidents occurred at beaches where daily lifeguard surveillance had ended on August 31 following the conclusion of the summer holiday period.

The first victim, a 53-year-old man, was pulled from the water at Pavillon-Royal beach in Bidart by surfers after suffering cardiac arrest. He could not be resuscitated. His two children, aged 15 and 19, were present on the beach and suffered severe shock. Authorities suggest he may have been caught in a strong current.

Hours later, an 80-year-old German man was found lifeless at Corsaires beach in Anglet. Lifeguards from neighboring monitored beaches discovered him in a state of cardiac arrest.

Emergency services and local authorities have appealed to tourists to swim only at beaches where lifeguard surveillance is still active. Reports indicate that over 300 people have drowned in France during the current summer season, representing a 14 percent increase compared to the previous year.