Stunning supertide turns medieval French abbey Mont Saint-Michel into island

Thousands flocked to catch sight of a stunning supertide in northern France that turned a majestic 11th century abbey into a spectacular medieval island.

The "mascaret" wave, which wondrously bathes Mont Saint-Michel's surrounding walls every 18 years, completely submerged the gothic monastery's thin causeway Saturday, creating a nearly instant 42-foot-deep moat in some places.

Revelers on higher ground eagerly snapped pictures and video of the spring phenomenon along Normandy's coast while French national police warned them to not be physically carried away by the action-packed show.

Such was the case in Landes, southwest France, where a fisherman was swept away to his death after losing his footing as the tide started to rise on Saturday, local officials said.

The rushing water's pace is said to "rise at the pace and of horse's gallop," the Associated Press reported. 

The extreme high tide was the result of a "supermoon" effect linked to Friday's solar eclipse.

Though the "mascaret" is dubbed the "tide of the century," its last occurrence was on March 10, 1997. The next is expected for March 3, 2033, France 24 reported.