© Bertrand Borie via Unsplash
A late-night game of soccer turned into a nightmare in France on Saturday night into Sunday: a 27-year-old man died while trying to retrieve a soccer ball from the Rhône River, according to the local newspaper Le Progrès.
According to the newspaper, the man was kicking a ball around with a friend near the river. Around 2:00 a.m., the man jumped into the Rhône when the ball landed in the water. However, he was unable to reach the bank again and drowned. Emergency responders who rushed to the scene were able to recover his body from the water, but all resuscitation attempts were in vain: the man died of cardiac arrest.
The Rhône is known to be dangerous due to its strong currents, whirlpools, and objects lying beneath the water’s surface. Swimming in the river is therefore prohibited.
According to the local newspaper, the fire department has been using an innovative autonomous drone since early July to locate drowning victims more quickly, but for now, it is only permitted to fly during the day.
Picture: © Bertrand Borie via Unsplash - Illustrative image