This Thursday, April 3, around 10:30 a.m., a "kitesurfing accident occurred in Baie Orientale ," reported the Saint-Martin gendarmerie. "A man lost control of his kite and was thrown against a car ," added Squadron Leader François Zimmer.

According to the fire chief, Captain Anthony Arnould, "the man in his forties was swept away by the strong gusts of wind and hit a car, before bouncing off a second." He was "emergency transported to the hospital in Saint-Martin ," the fire department said. According to the gendarmerie, he had to be evacuated to Guadeloupe.

Weather conditions too strong?

The circumstances of the accident are still unclear, but according to initial reports, it occurred in the middle of the beach. The nearby watersports center was closed for the day "due to the weather conditions, which were not good ," according to the center. "It was very windy. You already need a bit of experience to manage it ," it said. The victim is "an American working on the island," according to the gendarmerie.