Porquerolles: fears held for boy, 12, missing in storms on French island The boy's bike, discovered near the sea, had been damaged and its chain had been "derailed" and reports have also suggested his shoes were found next to the bike. A large-scale search, involving local authorities and volunteers, was subsequently launched but was called off in the early hours of today amid worsening conditions. Searches by French Gendarmes were hampered by poor visibility, rough seas and wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour. Emergency services resumed the search this morning, with more than 100 rescuers using Zodiac dinghies, helicopters and sniffer dogs in their search for the missing boy. It is understood the boy's parents, including father - named locally as Stephen Barnes - and his French-born mother, were being kept abreast of developments by the local authorities. It is understood they had arrived on the holiday island, close to the port of Toulon, yesterday and were planning to stay for the week. Xavier Tarabeux, the Prosecutor at the port of Toulon, said the boy's disappearance was being linked to extreme weather conditions throughout the Mediterranean. He said the boy vanished during a storm "as bad as any which occurs only a couple of times every ten years." Forecasters have issued warnings for residents amid the worsening conditions. The storms and strong winds caused a ferry to break its moorings last night and was being held in the port of Marseille. More than 23,000 homes were without power after winds left a trial of widespread destruction and caused branches to fall on lines.