Stop drinking mountain stream water, French officials warn hikers

French authorities are warning hikers not to drink water from mountain streams, after a number of tourists fell ill and had to be airlifted to hospital.

Two groups of hikers totalling nine people who had drunk water from streams and lakes in the Pyrenees were flown to hospital in Tarbes recently suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhoea, the regional newspaper Sud Ouest reported in late July. Two more hikers had been affected earlier.

Emergencies like these are by no means rare, said Sabastien Abbadie, head of the local mountain rescue service, on broadcaster Ici. "We have rescue operations every day," he said.

In 2025, there had been more than 50 emergencies following the drinking of mountain water, he said. "You should not drink this water, to avoid operations like these," he said.