Ten injured and one missing after boat collision in Gulf of La Napoule off Cannes
A collision between a luxury yacht and a rigid inflatable boat in the Gulf of La Napoule left ten people injured and a boater missing as divers search the waters.
Nighttime collision in the Gulf of La Napoule
On the night of Sunday, 16 August 2026, at approximately 22:45, two French-flagged pleasure vessels collided in the Gulf of La Napoule, west of Cannes and off the coast of Mandelieu-la-Napoule and Théoule-sur-Mer. The impact involved a 10-meter Pardo luxury yacht carrying 11 people and a twin-engine rigid inflatable boat carrying 10 passengers. The force of the collision threw all 10 occupants of the inflatable vessel into the sea. Relatives noted that the passengers on the inflatable boat were returning to port at speed to return the rented vessel on time following a birthday outing that included several teenagers.
- Rigid inflatable boat
- 10 people
- Pardo yacht
- 11 people
Emergency response and casualties
The Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue in the Mediterranean (CROSS MED) received the emergency alert around 23:00 on Sunday. Emergency authorities deployed more than 50 firefighters, 29 emergency vehicles, lifeboats from the National Sea Rescue Society (SNSM) station in Cannes Golfe-Juan, a maritime gendarmerie vessel, and helicopters from both the French Navy and Sécurité Civile. Rescuers brought 20 people ashore at the ports of La Napoule and La Rague. Ten people sustained injuries, with four individuals classified in absolute emergency and six in relative emergency. The injured suffered fractures to their jaws and legs and were transferred to regional hospitals in Cannes, Antibes, Nice, and Toulon.
- Pardo yacht and rigid inflatable boat collide in the Gulf of La Napoule
- CROSS MED receives distress alert and deploys maritime rescue resources
- Maritime prefecture issues overnight summary confirming one boater remains missing
- Helicopters and surface craft resume aerial and maritime search at daylight
- Maritime prefect suspends aerial sweeps, transferring search to gendarmerie divers
Search for the missing boater
One man who was aboard the inflatable craft remains unaccounted for, with authorities reporting his age as between 22 and 24 years. Search crews conducted sea and aerial sweeps throughout Sunday night and resumed flights at 07:00 on Monday. The maritime prefect of the Mediterranean ordered the suspension of aerial and surface operations at 11:00 on Monday, directing maritime gendarmerie divers to continue underwater search efforts. Vice-Admiral Laurent Hermann, maritime prefect of the Mediterranean, outlined the operational status during a briefing on Monday.
We had a castaway. We searched for him using all available assets: air assets, nautical assets, shore assets. And we did not find him. We searched for him all night, we searched for him this morning. And today, I do not know.
Investigation into navigational causes
Judicial and maritime authorities initiated an investigation into the circumstances of the collision. The Pardo yacht was operated by a local maritime professional returning from an excursion off the Lérins Islands, while the inflatable boat was operated by a private boating enthusiast. Mandelieu-la-Napoule mayor Sébastien Leroy stated on social media that the missing man had been steering the inflatable boat at the time of the crash, adding that investigators will determine whether alcohol or narcotics played a role. Jean-François Léonard, president of the SNSM station of Cannes Golfe-Juan, described the initial sequence of the encounter.
The hard-hulled boat was leaving port and the rigid inflatable struck the vessel in question. There were many people on board, indeed, perhaps a bit of fun, and as a result, an effect of inattention led to a collision.
