Cassis, La Ciotat, Leucate, la Grande-Motte, Agde, Marseillan, Sérignan and Vias… In the space of a few hours, the beaches of the south of France have turned into a theater of human dramas.
A raging sea by a strong swell is the cause of nine drownings in quick succession, which occurred in the departments of Hérault, Bouches-du-Rhône and Aude.
The helpers evoked a "phenomenon of rollers" and a murderous "swell" following the strong disturbances which affected the South.
But what exactly is a swell?
We explain this phenomenon, the existence of which supposes the greatest vigilance.
"We think we are having fun and quickly we are pulled out to sea"
Swell is a maritime movement which, unlike waves whose strength depends on the local weather, can form as a result of a meteorological depression much more distant in time and duration.
It is the consequence of the wind: the more important and lasting the gusts, the more formidable the swell can be.
Its formation takes place offshore and the swell then moves towards the coasts, being able to reach several tens of kilometer-hour.
This is where the swell turns into waves which, by a roll effect, are liable to grab swimmers towards the seabed.
"The water is hot, we think we are going to have fun and quickly we are pulled out to sea and to the bottom and we are exhausted trying to come back, which is what causes drowning or the beginning of drowning. ", Explained Wednesday on LCI Aurélien Manenc, lieutenant-colonel of the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS) of the department.
To guard against danger, it is essential to respect the indications located near the beaches. A red flag, even if the sea is not apparently rough, means that no swimming can take place. The local authorities, like the mayor of Vias, regretted that many bathers did not respect these indications on Wednesday, to the great misfortune of nine of them.
