British teen feared dead after vanishing while swimming on a holiday beach in the northern French town of Boulogne
Boy, 13, was swimming with his brothers when he is believed to have been caught in an undercurrent and dragged out to sea
A BRITISH teenager is feared dead after disappearing while swimming at a beach in the northern French town of Boulogne.
The 13-year-old boy is thought to have been dragged out to sea by a strong current as he swam with his two brothers on Monday night.
The other boys, believed to be an eight and ten-year-old, were swimming at the beach about 6.30pm on Monday when they got caught in the strong currents.
The two other children were able to swim to the foot of a lighthouse and raise the alarm that the 13-year-old boy had gone missing.
A major search operation, including helicopters and divers, was carried out until nightfall on Monday but was unsuccessful, with hopes that the missing teen will be found alive fading.
Authorities have since said people were banned from swimming in the area.
Deputy Mayor of Boulogne, Frédéric Cuvillier, went to the beach to help with the search.
He told La Voix Du Nord: "We do not know what has happened. What is certain is that the children found themselves outside the authorised zone for swimming.
"It's a dangerous place, where there is always current."
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The search has now resumed on Tuesday morning, but it is not expected the teenager will be recovered alive, the president of Boulogne lifeboat station said.
Gerard Barron said the boy, thought to have been on holiday in the area with his family, had been in a channel which is not for use by swimmers or bathers, and where the water flows "fairly fast".
He said the youngster's chances of survival after such a long time were non-existent.
He told the Press Association: "At this time of the year for somebody in tip-top condition the temperature of the water indicates a maximum survival time of about two to two and a half hours.
"So obviously this morning there is absolutely no chance of finding him alive. The search is now being done by the police and the fire brigade. It is now a judicial inquiry."
He said the area, which is used by ferries, is dangerous due to the constant passing by of trawlers, as well as the added danger of rocks and currents.
Rescuers said they had seen the teenager's parents waving for help at the water's edge.
But rescuers have since said they fear the worse with survival time at sea no more than three hours.
The search for the boy will continue along the ten-mile stretch of the Channel coast.
A search team spokesman said: "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."
The boy's family has since been taken to hospital to be treated for shock.
The teenager's mother at first refused to leave the beach to keep watch.
Authorities have shut off access to the local lighthouse as they continue the search.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing support to the family of a British national who has been reported missing at sea in Boulogne sur Mer, France. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. We are in close contact with the local authorities."
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