“ One should not seek death, even if it is hot“At the Vaires-sur-Marne water sports center, security guard Ibrahim Soumare tries unsuccessfully to get people out of the water. Swimming is prohibited, but they go back in as soon as his back is turned, only too happy to cool off, despite the mounting number of drownings.” They don't listen to anything!" he despairs, helpless, pointing at recalcitrants in the distance.
Since the beginning of the week, some access points to the site have been closed. Two people have already drowned since Friday. The Seine-et-Marne region, with its rivers, lakes, and streams, has seen one death per day since the start of the heatwave that is stifling all of France. Six deaths, according to an AFP count, and eleven since the start of the season, out of more than forty in France.
Lake Vaires, the venue for the 2024 Olympic rowing events, is off-limits for swimming except on the leisure island where there is an entrance fee. Nevertheless, families, high school couples, and groups of friends arrive in their swimsuits and settle in under the trees to cool off.
Two high school students from Chelles are relaxing on their towels. If we had to pay, we wouldn't come so often.“They came the day before,” explains Shanaz, 17. “The police warned them and asked them to leave,” recounts Khaïs, 17. “They came back this Wednesday and…” they took a quick dip“.
A few dozen meters further on, sound comes from a car with its doors and trunk open, and a group of young men are peacefully enjoying the afternoon. An SUV stops. The local forest rangers politely ask them to leave. On Monday, there were 300 people" explains one of them, Fabien Sam, 44, who points out that the area is not monitored and there are no water tests. The artificial lake was built on a former sand quarry; the silt makes it dangerous in places.
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"There was a death yesterday."
The group of friends slowly hurried to pack up. We come from Tremblay-en-France (Seine-Saint-Denis), it's natural, we're peaceful here" says Youssef Jebber, 30, standing next to a cooler. We're all kitted out for going to the seaside!"He laughs. They come from a housing estate about fifteen minutes away and come regularly." Either I'm here, or I'm in police custody!“,” jokes Nordine Kaddour, 21. “Aren’t they deterred by all these drownings?” People don't know how to swim", says Youssef.
At the rowing club's café, the waiter explains that a " The helicopter has just taken off again from the other side of the lake."A sign of another drowning. At 4:25 p.m., the national police arrived and issued citations to the first group of swimmers who had settled on the base." Yesterday it was 11 euros, today it's 150 euros "Because of the ban order issued by the prefect the day before," a policeman explained to one of the boys, looking sheepish.
He argues " for preventionThe response is resounding: Prevention efforts are underway, but nobody cares, and people are dying every day."End of discussion. The dozen or so police officers head back to another location to issue tickets." We're at war, but it's complicated in 40-degree heat."A policewoman whispers before getting back into the car. It's a bit of a cat and mouse game." explains Patrick Karam, elected official for the Ile-de-France region, head of the base
The Marne River is right next door, and entire families are swimming. Around forty sites are being monitored, the prefecture told AFP. Like in Chelles, on the banks of the Marne. The setting is idyllic, the green water is magnificent, and clear at the edge. Middle school students jump off a pontoon. Two city workers screw the "no swimming" signs back on. Two municipal police officers arrive in the distance. Three boys come out of the water. But they'll see that we're wet."Noah is worried." Yesterday, a young man like you died."No fine this time," the police officer says. "The students will not be swimming there again today," they assure.
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