Two hours earlier, after 3 p.m., they were alerted by witnesses of a person falling into the Meuse. A team of divers immediately rushed to the scene with a Zodiac. But, despite their rapid intervention, and the precise indications from witnesses of the scene as to the location of the fall, the person was never found. Clearly, she quickly sank and drowned. Was she the victim of hydrocution? It’s possible. Other witnesses mentioned the passage of a boat. A barge? A cruise ship? In any case, in its wake, the eddies of the water would have drowned the young man.
Witnesses also informed the Namur firefighters that the person had voluntarily thrown himself into the water, in full view of everyone. Initially, the theory of a desperate act was favoured. In reality, the young victim was out in the centre of Namur with friends. According to our information, he had challenged himself to dive into the river. Passers-by tried, but in vain, to dissuade him from committing this imprudent act. We know the tragic outcome.
“We stayed there for about an hour. After that time, it is no longer possible to hope to find anyone alive,” firefighters said as they called off the search.
Furthermore, no worrying disappearances had yet been reported.
