AN IRISH WOMAN has tragically died in an abnormal swimming accident near her home in the south of France.
The victim, who has not yet been named, is believed to be a woman in her forties who is originally from Dublin but lives in Perpignan, France.
Local reports indicate that the woman and her husband went for a swim in the sea on the beach in Leucate, about 36 km from their home, after a meal when they were swept away by a strong backwash, The newspaper reports.
While the husband managed to escape and return to dry land with the help of passers-by, the wife was pulled further out to sea where she tragically drowned.
A number of people were caught in strong rip currents in the area on the day the Irish woman drowned, the media reported, although experienced and strong swimmers struggled.
Return currents are powerful, invisible currents that can quickly pull people out to sea, causing exhaustion when swimmers try to push them back in an attempt to get back on land.
According to the United States National Ocean Service, about 100 people drown each year from the backwaters in the United States, with rescuers helping thousands more.
Official advice says that if you get caught in a rip current you shouldn’t fight it and instead swim parallel to shore and swim down to land at an angle as you may drown with fatigue if you try to fight it. .
The Irish Foreign Office said they are aware of the case and are helping the woman’s family during this difficult time.
