According to the Var fire service, a coastal rescue boat capsized near the Nartuby bridge with three civilians and three firefighters on board. The firefighters were responding to an incident in the hamlet of Les Béluges, near the town centre of Le Muy, to evacuate three people.
Civil Protection helicopter operation
When the boat capsized, a Civil Protection helicopter was called to the scene, and one of the civilians and the three firefighters were rescued. A second person then turned up at the fire station in Le Muy, but not the third, who is still missing as of Saturday evening.
At least two people injured; more than 1,600 firefighters deployed
According to BFMTV, emergency services are working flat out to assist residents in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments. At least two people have been injured across these two departments.
In Cagnes-sur-Mer in the Alpes-Maritimes, on Saturday, firefighters were attempting to rescue a 78-year-old man who had been caught up in a landslide, but a mudslide caused trees to fall, trapping the elderly man. With the help of the 28 firefighters who rescued him, the man was taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia but without any serious injuries.
Firefighters – more than 1,600 of whom have been deployed across the two departments – have received thousands of calls and carried out hundreds of call-outs since Friday. They were still awaiting further reinforcements from neighbouring departments on Saturday evening, whilst the red alert remains in place until the middle of the night.