The French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced that a French teen from France’s under-18 team has disappeared after swimming in the South African Sea.
17-year-old Medhi Narjissi is a new member of the team participating in a youth competition in Cape Town, South Africa.
“Wednesday, around 4 pm (1400 GMT), he was taken by a wave, as he and his team-mates were finishing a swim in the sea at the Cape of Good Hope,” the FFR said.
“Emergency services are currently mobilised to find Medhi,” it added.
Authorities say Narjissi might have been swimming at Diaz Beach, close to the Cape of Good Hope, when powerful rip currents carried him into the surf area.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) reported that a fellow team member who tried to save him without success made it back to shore unharmed.
“Despite an extensive sea, air and shoreline search, there remains no signs of the missing teenager,” NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said.
The search was ongoing, he added.
“Thoughts, care and compassion are with the family, friends and the rugby team of the missing teenager in this difficult time,” Lambinon said.