Two young friends drown at resort

TWO young Irish friends drowned yesterday in a French seaside resort where hours earlier more than a dozen people had to be rescued from the water.

Heather Young, 19, and Janet Nicholson, 21, both from Dublin, died after being swept out to sea by the strong Atlantic current while bathing off Biarritz on France's south west coast.

Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Embassy in Paris were yesterday assisting their families in making arrangements to travel to Biarritz to bring their loved ones' remains home.

The friends, who had planned a working holiday in the region for July and August, drowned after going for a swim at around 2am at the end of a hot, humid day when temperatures had stayed around 25 degrees. They entered the water at Marbella Beach, one of a series of popular beaches strung along a built-up stretch of coast lined by hotels and restaurants. They were reported missing by a companion, a young Irish man, who lost sight of them in the waves and realised they were in trouble. He called police who launched a full-scale rescue operation involving the coastguard, fire brigade, local boats and a jet ski.

One body was located shortly after daybreak at around 5.30am some distance out to sea while the second was found and recovered from the water about 45 minutes later.

French journalist Sebastian Bierrot told RTÉ radio yesterday that the area was very dangerous for swimmers and at least 13 people had been pulled from the water by rescue services the afternoon before the two women died.

"The problem is that you do not see the current. You think you can swim without problem but when you are in, there are currents that will pull you under the sea. It's very dangerous, even in the day," he said.

The dangers of the region are widely advertised within the surfing community who gathered in the town all week for the annual international Biarritz Surf Festival, but casual water sports enthusiasts and bathers are rarely so well-informed and while Marbella Beach is supervised by lifeguards, they are only on duty in daylight hours.

Mr Bierrot said there were signs at the entrance to the beach warning of the dangers but they were written in French so most visitors did not know they specified hidden currents.

"The police have a lot of problems with people on holidays who do not know this peculiarity of the Basque coast. There are many, many accidents in Biarritz, particularly in the summer."

Biarritz has been a favourite summer destination for French families for generations but it has become increasingly popular with young Irish holidaymakers and students on working vacations in recent years.

Once considered too far off the main flight paths for budget travellers, Ryanair now offers cheap direct flights from Britain.