A 16-year-old drowned while swimming at the beach in the coastal city of Ostend on Tuesday afternoon.
The young man from Herstal (Liège) went missing at sea on Tuesday morning when swimming with two friends aged 16 and 17. His body was found on the beach at around noon. He was resuscitated on site and was then hospitalised but did not survive.
The three boys had been swimming in a zone under lifeguard surveillance but got into difficulties when a large wave overpowered them and pushed them towards more dangerous waters. Lifeguards quickly rescued the other two, who are brothers, but lost sight of the now-deceased 16-year-old.
A search operation including a helicopter and the maritime police was launched. After an hour, the teenager's body was discovered. Police were initially reluctant to pronounce the drowning a death given the successful resuscitation, but his death in intensive care was announced just before 13:00.
The other two young men were also hospitalised but are in stable condition. Local police in Ostend are providing victim support to those involved in the incident and to lifeguards.
