The events of this drama took place in Biarritz, located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department.
Julien Roumat, a 12-year-old boy who was playing with his bodyboard in the waters of Biarritz, heard cries of alarm.
The boy recently took first aid courses and when he heard the cries for help, he rushed to help.
The teenager later told TF1: ‘I heard cries for help coming from behind a nearby rock.
It was the father with his son. They were drowning.»
The other members of the family, the mother, her nephew and her niece, were sheltered on a rock.
Julien understood that no time should be wasted. He swam to the screams as he rescued people who were drowning.
“The boy was in front of his father and I pulled them. It was very difficult, since there was the current of water and the waves which aggravated the situation.
And the father’s legs were fractured and he couldn’t move them,” Julien said.
“For a few minutes, I tried to get back to shore, but in vain. It was impossible to swim, I was sinking,” the rescued man later explained.
Policeman Driss said that without Julien the rescue would be impossible. Luckily, the other family members were rescued using ropes and planks.
Sports educator Thomas Russo explained: «There are cases when young people jump into the water to help adults and it happens often.»
“During the first aid courses, we learned how to help people who were drowning. And during this rescue, I applied the technique learned.
The family that I saved was very grateful to me. They kissed me, ”said Julien on RMC Story.
The boy is impatiently awaiting his 16th birthday, because then he can become a lifeguard.