Cn Thursday, emergency services were called to help hundreds of kayakers in difficulty in the Lesse, said Patrice Liétart, spokesperson for the Dinaphi zone. All were evacuated and are now safe. However, seven teenagers were taken to Dinant hospital for hypothermia or anxiety attacks.
These were students, mainly from Flanders, who were taking a school kayak trip in the Lesse. The school trip unfortunately turned into a nightmare since they had to face a particularly strong current, putting them in danger. “The Lesse gained 1m50 in two hours, it created a real tidal wave,” says Olivier Pitance, manager of Dinant Evasion. “I have never seen this in my life. »
For his part, the mayor of Dinant, Thierry Bodlet, believes that these young people were released when the water flow was too high. “Everyone who has gone down the Lesse since this morning says they should never have started. If the Walloon Region has not banned the descent of the Lesse despite the climatic conditions, the operator must be able to analyze the situation and do what is necessary,” he criticized.
Also read
Hundreds of kayakers evacuated from the Lesse, seven teenagers taken to hospital
){kind=link}