His boat capsized: the canoe-kayak trip turns into a tragedy, a teenager drowns in the Hautes-Alpes

The lifeless body of a 14-year-old boy was found in the place called Crépon in the commune of Champcella in the Hautes-Alpes, following a canoeing-kayaking accident.

This Monday, August 26, 2024, during a supervised canoe-kayak outing, an accident caused the loss of a teenager in the Durance between Champcella and Argentière-la-Bessée in the Hautes-Alpes. 11 children from Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse took part in this outing, reveals BFMTV.

Large rescue operation mobilized

To find the young man, ten vehicles were mobilized, with a total of 18 firefighters on board. Two rescuers from the Republican Security Company (CRS) of the Briançon Alps were also on the scene. A mountain rescue helicopter was deployed to find the child, adds France Bleue.

Despite an alert launched at 5 p.m. and the significant search operation put in place, the teenager was found dead in the commune of Champcella.

An investigation opened

The territorial brigade of l’Argentière and the Briançon research brigade were tasked with investigating the circumstances of the accident. State-certified instructors were interviewed.

According to initial information, the victim's kayak capsized after getting caught in branches and could not be recovered. The Gap prosecutor's office said that an autopsy will be performed and that the interviews will continue.