Dead body found in Paris canal popular with bathers: Police

PARIS – The French authorities have found the body of a man in a Paris canal that has been wildly popular with locals and tourists as a swimming spot to cool off in the early summer heatwave, police said.

The body was found early on July 4 in the Canal Saint-Martin in the north of the city centre whose banks have in recent weeks been crowded with bathers amid record temperatures.

The man was brought to the surface by members of the fire brigade, police said.

His body was very swollen, suggesting he had been in the water for several days.

The dead man had no identity papers on him, said a police source, who asked not to be named.

An investigation is now in progress into the cause of death.

Prosecutors said that the man appeared to be aged 25 to 35.

Swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin was authorised in mid-June by Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire in the face of the record heatwave that ended a week ago.

Since then, swimming has remained permitted in a section of the Canal Saint-Martin but only on Sundays.

There have been concerns over the safety of swimming in a canal in the heart of urban Paris while the authorities have sternly warned against jumping off its bridges.

It has also been notorious as a dumping ground for urban detritus including e-scooters, bikes and shopping trolleys.

The discovery of the body comes as Paris on July 4 launched a new season of permitted swimming in the River Seine, which connects with the Canal Saint-Martin, at three spots along its banks.

The swimming, a legacy of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, is now taking place for the second year and is free and supervised. AFP