Missing British boy feared dead after being swept out to sea in Boulogne while on holiday

Beauty spot: The coast of Boulogne
Shutterstock / JP Chretien
Francesca Gillett16 August 2016

A British teenager is feared dead after being swept out to sea in fast-flowing water while on holiday in France with his family.

The 13-year-old was swimming with his two brothers when he went missing at sea off the coast of Boulogne, northern France, at around 6pm yesterday evening.

Despite a rescue operation which continued late into last night and again this morning, the youngster has not been found.

The president of Boulogne lifeboat station said it is not expected the teenager will be found alive.

Gerard Barron said the youngster's chances of survival after such a long time were non-existent.

He said the boy, thought to have been on holiday in the area with his family, had been in a channel which is not for use by swimmers or bathers and where the water flows "fairly fast".

He told the Press Association: "At this time of the year for somebody in tip-top condition the temperature of the water indicates a maximum survival time of about two to two and a half hours.

"So obviously this morning there is absolutely no chance of finding him alive. The search is now being done by the police and the fire brigade. It is now a judicial inquiry."

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