![Gironde : nouvelle noyade sur le littoral, le quatrième décès en quelques jours [Mathieu Thomasset / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/139260122/25aecc076abc1f2801e25dd8794b7d7228f37bcb4d86571a7c38a8dc4b027dca)
Overview
- Authorities confirmed at least six to seven deaths linked to the late-May heat episode, with multiple drownings recorded in Seine-Maritime, Gironde, Vienne, Eure and Maine-et-Loire.
- Many victims were found at sites where swimming was forbidden or not formally supervised, increasing exposure to hidden currents, strong river flows and ocean baïnes.
- Rescue operations deployed firefighters, divers, drones, helicopters and gendarmerie units to search and recover bodies during intense, multi-agency responses.
- Local leaders and lifeguard federations say France faces a structural shortfall of seasonal lifesaving staff—training centres report low candidate numbers and one estimate cites roughly 5,000 missing lifeguards—which limits the ability to expand surveillance quickly.
- Public-health data show the problem is broader than a single heatwave: Santé publique France recorded 409 fatal drownings in 2025 and experts link the rise to earlier, longer heat events, lost swim instruction since COVID‑19 and risky behaviour by young people.