A family on holiday were woken up by wildfires in the middle of night and forced to shelter on a rocky outcrop in the sea.
Dad-of-two Jérémie Gautrelet, 42, was in Tigremt, Algeria, when the group saw embers and and smelled smoke.
Wildfire had reached just meters away from the hotel and the family was forced flee, taking only their most important documents and items.
Jérémie, his wife Lynda, 46, and their two children, Gabriel, eleven, and Genna, seven, quickly left the hotel and headed to the hotel beach.
The family spotted a rocky outcrop a short distance out to sea and decided that this would be the safest place for them to shelter.
They were forced to swim the short distance to the outcrop, perching on it for safety from the flames, which were so close they could feel the heat.
A harrowing video shows the family sheltering on the rock and the hotel in flames in the background.
Countries across the Mediterranean have been hit by wildfires, with at least 34 people killed in Algeria.
Jérémie, a police officer from Lons, France, said: "The fire caught us by surprise during the night of July 23rd around five o'clock in the morning.
"The flames were just a few meters away from the residence, and there was a lot of smoke, embers, wind, and heat."
The family had checked in the hotel the day before and were spending their first night in the hotel.
Jérémie said: "We were terrified when we first saw the flames but the will to survive helped us channel our determination.
"The children were exemplary – no screams, no tears, no complaints despite the danger, explosions, and toxic smoke."
The family used wet t-shirts to cover their faces and protect themselves from the smoke.
They also helped other families from the same hotel make it onto the rock and they all sheltered there for two hours, before locals came to their rescue.
Jérémie said: "We stayed on the rocks for several hours, enduring the intense heat, burning winds, embers and toxic smoke.
"We used t-shirts to protect our children.
"After the video, I went to urge people on the terrace of the residence to seek refuge in the sea."
After they were rescued, the family was taken to the nearby port of Saket, where they stayed for another two and a half hours before they were seen by doctors.
The family was treated for first degree burns on their faces from the heat and smoke from the fires.
They also received Ophthalmic care or eye treatment and were put on oxygen.
The family were later housed at the Chrea Hotel In Bejaia for three days and flew back home on the 26th.
