Rescue operations continued this Saturday, September 7, 2024 on the Catalan seafront to assist swimmers in difficulty. In the end, two people were injured and transported to the Perpignan hospital center. A toll that could have been much higher.
Due to the very strong swell this Saturday on the Catalan coast, the emergency services increased their interventions all afternoon in particularly unfavourable weather conditions.
At 2:30 p.m., in Saint-Cyprien, a swimmer, 50 m offshore, who could not return to the beach, had to be rescued by two firefighters from Canet. They swam to retrieve him and brought him back to shore.
The situation became complicated around 4 p.m. Three people were in difficulty caught in the waves against the rocks on the Ouille beach in Argelès-sur-Mer. Witnesses wanted to help them and were also surprised. Thirty firefighters, including 16 specialists, were mobilized to the scene with the support of several ambulances, the Samu helicopter and the Dragon 34.
All the castaways were rescued, often by helicopter. Two people were injured, including a 19-year-old girl. Suffering from severe hypothermia and multiple dermabrasions, they were evacuated to Perpignan hospital. Finally, at around 5:30 p.m., two windsurfers were helicoptered 300 m from Canet beach and returned to dry land, safe and sound.
