Tragedy at Sea: 13-Year-Old Brussels Footballer’s Dream Cut Short in Gravelines

The Hamza family is struck by a tragedy: Youssef, 13, was found dead near the Huttes jetty in Gravelines. The tragedy occurred last Saturday. After taking the road to Gravelines, a seaside resort just across the Belgian border on Friday, the teenager, his father, his uncle and his two cousins, aged 11 and 14, decided to make a detour by the sea the next day. "Youssef insisted on going swimming. He was absolutely determined to see the sea before going home," says Mohammad, another cousin, to Sudinfo.

They all reached the Hutte jetty, an extended and unsupervised area. Youssef boarded a small inflatable boat, accompanied by two of his cousins, reports the same source, adding that their fathers were fishing a few meters away, from the jetty. But the weather was not clement: wind and waves. Suddenly, the boat was swept away by the currents. The boat eventually capsized. The two cousins managed to reach the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe with the help of fishermen and rescuers. Youssef was not so lucky. He disappeared at sea. A significant search operation was deployed to find him. Without success.

On Tuesday, a body was found by firefighters near the Gravelines beach, in the area of the Huttes jetty where the three children had been swept away by the current on Saturday. The family confirmed that it was indeed Youssef. "His mother could not recognize him, his body was damaged. But she recognized a burn scar he had had on his arm since childhood," explains Mohammad, his cousin. A coroner confirmed the 13-year-old’s accidental drowning death.

This death has plunged this family of Syrian origin into consternation. Youssef played football at Dawn FC Anderlecht. His dream was to become a professional player. "Rest in peace and a lot of courage to his loved ones," the football club commented on Facebook. The same people who had launched the search to try to find the teenager’s body on Monday, with the support of the city of Gravelines, are organizing a white march this Saturday at 4pm "to provide support to the family," says La Voix du Nord. The march will start from the lifeguard station in Petit-Fort-Philippe.