Rennes (AFP)

The rescue operation of the three 7, 9 and 13-year-old children who drowned on Monday, trapped in the cabin of their capsizing boat, was "nightmarish", according to the testimony of a SNSM rescuer.

"It was very fast and at the same time nightmarish, the sailing time of a speedboat is 15 minutes, we did as quickly as we could, in these cases, we have the impression Time is coming to an end, it is dramatic, we are deeply affected and we will remain scarred for life, "said AFP Aurélien Lecardonnel, head of the SNSM ship Blainville-sur-Mer, called in reinforcement .

"A young supervisor at the sailing school in Agon-Coutainville, one of the first to arrive on site, did a great job in stomping on the windows of the cabin to extract the imprisoned children." he added, adding that "the sea was rough, not dismounted".

The victims were trapped in the cabin of the boat, after an engine problem that would have made it unmanageable. "It follows both from the hearings of the occupants of the boat and from the direct witnesses of the scene, that during a maneuver returning from the boat to the beach, the engine stopped and that a wave has capsized the star, propelling adults into the water and trapping children inside the cabin, "wrote Tuesday in a statement the floor of Coutances.

"The sea was difficult for a small boat", and the waves were "1m to 1m50" at the time of the drama, said his side Jean-Marie Choisy, SNSM departmental delegate of the Channel.

Christelle Tosolini, who witnessed the capsize, told AFP that she saw "the small boat that was back to the sea take a wave from behind and turn around" while "there were rollers". And to clarify that "there was a green flag on the beach".

An examination of the bodies of the three children was conducted Tuesday afternoon. "It is clear from the findings of the medical examiner that the cause of death is attributable to an asphyxial syndrome, consistent with the findings made on the spot," said the prosecutor.

- "I called for help" -

The boat will be surveyed soon to check its status and compliance with the rules of navigation, he said. According to the Channel and North Sea Maritime Prefecture, the "fishing-promenade" type boat measures 4 to 5 meters and "the sea was rough with waves of about 1 meter", while stating that the time "can change very quickly" as well as the size of the waves.

The three victims, two girls born in 2006 and 2010 and a boy born in 2012, were from the Orne and Mayenne. The three adults who accompanied them were only slightly injured.

Interviewed by Ouest-France, the mother of two of the three children who lost their lives explained that her husband had just obtained his boat license in June.

"We went out at sea three days ago, we stayed on the water from 14:30 to 18:00 and everything went very well." On the day of the sinking, "the sea was a little agitated but not badly," she remembers. The boat was launched at 14:45 "and the drama arrived at 15:30".

"It happened so quickly that we did not have time to say phew, we were coming back to the beach, there was a little water in the boat. I called for help, then a big wave made us capsize, "she said, adding that the three children inside the cabin," all had their lifejackets, they did not have time to go out. "

The father tried in vain "to break the window of the cabin with his arms, his legs, with the anchor of the boat," she added.

© 2019 AFP