Two people have been killed and another seriously injured after an inflatable boat crashed off the coast of southern France.
The tragedy happened on Tuesday near Saint-Cyprien, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, after the pilot of a motorboat towing an inflatable buoy was thrown overboard.
Prosecutors said the unmanned boat then began circling out of control before crashing into the inflatable ship and the passengers riding on it.
One of the dead was the pilot, who was hit by the boat’s propeller.
A woman who rode on the bouncy castle also died, while a man suffered serious injuries to his arm and leg and was taken to hospital.
Perpignan public prosecutor Jérôme Bourrier said the boat may have been destabilized by waves before the pilot ejected, but warned the exact circumstances had yet to be determined.
He said those who witnessed the incident were “in shock”.
An investigation into manslaughter has been opened.
A video posted to Facebook appeared to show a boat with its front over an inflatable boat on the French beach
The boat, whose engine still appears to be running, pushes the inflatable boat into a bend
The footage showed two helicopters landing on the beach
Saint-Cyprien beach, where two people were killed and another seriously injured in a crash involving an inflatable attraction (file photo)
A total of seven people were involved in the accident, BFMTV reports. Four people suffered minor injuries.
According to the daily L’Indépendant, a major rescue operation took place after the accident.
A source close to the investigation said the boat was making a wide turn when the pilot ejected.
The source told AFP: ‘The pilot was hit by the boat’s propeller and sank immediately. He was initially reported missing before his body was found,” adding that “the boat, without its pilot, continued its turn and struck the buoy it was towing, killing a woman and seriously injuring a man in the arm and leg.”
The beach has been evacuated and closed to the public.
