The prefectures of Gironde and Charente-Maritime advise against swimming this weekend on the coast due to dangerous weather phenomena, in particular "
baïnes
", strong currents which lead to drowning each year.
Read alsoFinistère: three members of the same family die swept away by a wave
In Gironde, where the prefecture had already advised against swimming on Wednesday after a series of drownings on the coast between Sunday and Tuesday, the conditions "
will again be particularly dangerous due to the concordance of the following phenomena: swell and waves on board, strong currents and formation of baïnes, high air and water temperatures for the season
, ”she explains in a press release.
The prefecture asks to “
be extra careful and avoid swimming outside supervised bathing areas
” in the municipalities of Lacanau, Hourtin, Carcans and Vendays-Montalivet, i.e. around fifty kilometers of coast.
In Charente-Maritime, swimming is not recommended "
in the municipalities concerned by the phenomenon of baïnes
", these seemingly innocuous water holes but whose currents can quickly carry out to sea.
The prefecture quotes, in a press release, those of Le-Grand-Village-Plage, Saint-Georges-d'Oléron and Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, on the island of Oléron, and La Tremblade, near Royan , as “
particularly concerned
”.
From this summer, a warning system for baïnes will be set up on the Aquitaine coast on the model of avalanches, according to an announcement dating from October from the delegate prefect for the defense and security of the south-west zone.
When the danger is significant, an alert message will be broadcast in the media,
