A judicial investigation has been opened following a collision between a 12-meter yacht and a 7-meter semi-rigid boat that occurred Sunday evening off Mandelieu-la-Napoule. A 22-year-old man remains missing.
A maritime collision mobilized significant rescue resources Sunday, August 16 off Mandelieu-la-Napoule. The accident occurred around 11 p.m., south of the Gulf of Napoule, between a 12-meter yacht and a 7-meter semi-rigid boat. Twenty-one people were on board the two vessels.
The Marseille prosecutor’s office has taken charge of the case under the Marseille maritime court. According to initial findings, the semi-rigid boat allegedly struck the yacht at its port bow, that is at the front left of the vessel.
No water entry into the hulls has been detected so far. Technical inspections must still be carried out to clarify the circumstances of the collision.
An investigation opened into the circumstances of the collision
The judicial investigation has been entrusted jointly to the coastal naval brigade of Antibes of the departmental gendarmerie and the Mediterranean naval gendarmerie unit. The investigations must notably determine whether navigation rules were complied with.
Possible negligence by the captain is also among the lines of inquiry being examined. Investigators will also have to establish the conditions under which people present on the semi-rigid boat were at the time of the incident.
According to initial information, festivities may have taken place on board the semi-rigid boat. The mayor of Mandelieu-la-Napoule indicated that the use of alcohol and drugs could not be ruled out. Tests and investigations will need to verify this hypothesis.
Of the 21 people involved, one yacht passenger was injured. Nine people on the semi-rigid boat were also injured. Among the latter, two have their vital prognosis at risk and two others are in absolute vital emergency. Five people were in relative emergency.
A 22-year-old man remains missing
Rescue services recovered and transferred 20 people to La Napoule and La Rague ports. Several injured persons were subsequently evacuated to hospitals in Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Toulon.
Upon alert, the CROSS MED La Garde coordinated an air-maritime and ground operation. The Navy’s H160 “Belligou” helicopter, SNSM resources, the Alpes-Maritimes firefighting service, the gendarmerie and SMUR notably participated in operations.
The search continues for a 22-year-old man who was on board the semi-rigid boat. Suspended during the night, operations resumed Monday morning with in particular a Dragon helicopter from Civil Protection and several maritime resources.
Despite the search conducted in the areas defined by CROSS MED, the missing person has not yet been found.
Sunday, August 16, 2026, around 11 p.m., CROSS MED La Garde was alerted to a collision between two pleasure boats off Mandelieu-la-Napoule. The rescue operation notably mobilized the H160 “Belligou” helicopter, several boats from the SNSM and the Alpes-Maritimes firefighting service as well as the “Pelagos” semi-rigid boat from the coastal naval brigade of Antibes.
The investigation now continues under the authority of the Marseille prosecutor’s office to establish the exact circumstances of this maritime collision off Mandelieu-la-Napoule.
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