British teen, 13, feared dead after vanishing at sea on France holiday

[RoterTeufel]

British teen, 13, feared dead after vanishing at sea on France holiday


 
FEARS are growing for the safety of a British teenager who went missing while swimming at a beach in the northern French town of Boulogne.
 
It is believed the boy was dragged out to sea by strong waves as he swam with his two brothers at around 6.30pm on Monday.
 
 His brothers, aged eight and 10, raised the alarm over the youngster's disappearance after managing to swim to the base of a nearby lighthouse.
 
 Rescue crews yesterday launched a major search operation involving helicopters and divers until nightfall.
 
 But rescuers said the survival time at sea is no more than three hours.
 
 The search began after rescue crews spotted the boy's parents waving for help near the water.
 
 The search along the ten-mile stretch of channel coast will continue today.
 
 A spokesman for the search team said today: "With this water temperature, we estimate the chances of survival at one, two or three hours, depending on the circumstances.
 
 "He could have been carried a fair distance away by the current. We now only expect to find his body."