The search for the child from a Brussels family who went missing after an inflatable boat capsized in France has been called off.
On Saturday, in the early afternoon, authorities were informed of an incident at a beach in Gravelines, in the North of France. Three children drifted out to sea on a small inflatable boat, which then reportedly capsized.
The children had escaped the attention of two adults, the father and uncle of some of the children, according to the deputy mayor of Gravelines, Alain Boonefaes, as reported by various news outlets.
A search and rescue operation began in the afternoon. Two of the children, reportedly aged 10 and 13, were found. One of the children made it back to shore on his own, while another was rescued.
After being taken into the care of the fire department, the two children told the firefighters that a third child, their cousin, was still in the water.
The search and rescue operation was called off on Saturday night. "At the end of the day, after several hours of fruitless operations, the search was called off on the decision of the maritime prefecture," reads a press release by the maritime prefecture published on Sunday.
According to several media outlets, the family is of Syrian origin and lives near Brussels. According to La Voix du Nord, the missing boy lives in Wattrelos, near Lille in northern France.
