12 Jul 2011

Four bodies found in French lake search for one victim

French police searching the picturesque Lake Annecy for one drowning victim have made the grim discovery of three more bodies, all of whom seem to have been in the water for more than a year.

Four bodies found in Lake Annecy during search for just one victim (Getty)

Searchers were dredging the lake in the French Alps for the body of a missing 15-year old, who jumped into the water from a pedalo and is believed to have drowned on 2 July.

But they also found three other bodies in the lake in various states of decomposition.

French media reported that the three other bodies appeared to have been in the water for more than a year, which could make identification difficult – although one of the drowning victims seems to have some kind of identification papers.

The bodies were found over a weekend search for the missing 15-year-old using sonar equipment – one on Saturday, two on Sunday, and one on Monday.

All were found within around 800 metres around the Imperial hotel but there doesn’t appear to be any link between the bodies.

The grisly findings are at odds with the peace and beauty of Lake Annecy, a tourist draw, and come as a further blow to the local area and its tourism industry. Annecy also recently lost its bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, receiving a humiliating seven votes.