UK Edition
French police diver goes missing in Seine near Notre Dame
A French police diver is missing after disappearing during a training exercise on the River Seine near Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral.
The 27-year-old woman disappeared on Friday morning as her unit, Brigade Fluvial, carried out exercises in the centre of Paris.
The Seine has been swollen after days of heavy rainfall in France.
More than 100 rescuers, including 17 divers, spent the day on Friday searching for the missing woman with the support of helicopters, boats, a drone and sniffer dogs.
They were forced to call off the search at nightfall on Friday but resumed again on Saturday morning.
“The search was immediately initiated by the divers, by the crew, by the colleagues of the Brigade Fluvial and very quickly soon after by all available means of the fire brigade in Paris,” said Philippe Caron, a police official.
The regional police prefect said in a statement that he “wishes to express his profound sadness at this tragedy that affects one of ours".
The Metropolitan Police's Marine Policing Unit tweeted its solidarity to its French colleagues.
Five people have been killed by the heavy weather in France.
On Thursday, a 64-year-old volunteer firefighter was swept away after trying to help rescue the driver of a car which had been swept off the road in a mudslide.
His body was recovered on Friday at noon after a 24 hour search.