The warm conditions across France drew significant crowds to the Gironde shoreline in the southwest, despite hazardous sea conditions. Officials reported rescuing over 30 individuals, though two lives were lost after being caught in strong currents.

Two swimmers tragically died in separate riptide incidents, which led French authorities to warn about the powerful currents and riptides present along the Gironde coast in southwestern France.

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A 56-year-old German woman was swept out and drowned on Sunday near Lège-Cap-Ferret. In a separate event at Lacanau, a 60-year-old man also lost his life.

Since Friday, rescue teams in Gironde have saved 31 people from the water. Authorities have urged those on the beaches to remain “highly vigilant.”

French officials caution about riptides—narrow yet extremely strong water currents that pull swimmers away from the shore and towards open waters.

These riptides occur when breaking waves push large amounts of water up the beach, which then channels back into the ocean via a concentrated and fast-moving current.

Riptides pose a serious threat even to skilled swimmers since they can quickly drag individuals far from the coast. They are often hard to identify because they may look like calmer or darker patches between breaking waves.

If trapped in a riptide, swimming directly against the current is dangerous. Instead, it is advised to swim parallel to the shoreline until free of the current, then return safely to the beach.

In southwestern France, temperatures unusually high for this season were recorded, surpassing 30 degrees Celsius over the weekend. These warm conditions attracted large crowds to the seaside.