The French Rugby Federation (FFR) said on Wednesday a member of France's under-18s squad has gone missing after going swimming in the sea in South Africa.
Medhi Narjissi, 17, is part of the squad competing in a youth tournament in Cape Town.
"Wednesday, around 4 pm (1400 GMT), he was taken by a wave, as he and his team-mates were finishing a swim in the sea at the Cape of Good Hope," the FFR said.
"Emergency services are currently mobilised to find Medhi," it added.
According to a report in Le Parasien, a psychologist is currently on hand providing assistance to Medhi’s teammates.
The report goes on to state that Medhi is the son of former Moroccan captain and hooker Djalil Narjissi, who turned out for French club SU Agen for 12 years.
The young Mehdi went through the ranks at SU Agen, before sealing a move to French giants Stade Toulouse in 2022 at the age of 15.
The France under-18 side are due to take on their South African counterparts in an U18 International Series clash on Monday next week. They follow that up with a clash against England the following Friday, before playing Georgia in their last match on Monday, 20 August.
Along with Ireland, England and Georgia, they are one of four European teams in South Africa for the tournament that will be hosted by Stellenberg High School in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, as well as Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Boys High School.
AFP, additional reporting by IOL Sport