Four people have died after a migrant boat got into difficulties crossing the English Channel in freezing conditions, according to the BBC. The incident occurred just after 03:00 GMT on Wednesday, with a fishing crew spotting the sinking dinghy between Kent and France.
The skipper of the fishing trawler, Ray Strachan, pulled his boat alongside and his crew hauled 31 people to safety in a dramatic rescue operation. Footage showed some migrants dressed only in T-shirts and thin lifejackets, screaming for help as water filled the inflatable boat.
Ben Squire, the owner of the fishing trawler, told the BBC that the crew gave the rescued individuals hot showers, their own clothes, and food to help warm them up. He described the sea as “quite cold” and the conditions as “a little bit rough.” Temperatures dropped to 1°C overnight, with a yellow weather warning for ice in place across Kent.
Lifeboat crews attempted to resuscitate some survivors on the quayside in Dover, and a helicopter took one adult to hospital, where he later died. Another adult victim has since been discharged. Rescued migrants said they had each paid £5,000 to cross the English Channel.
A French organisation, Utopia 56, said it received a distress call at 01:53 GMT from a boat in the Channel, with babies heard screaming in the background. However, it was not possible to verify whether this was the same vessel. Home Secretary Suella Braverman and French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin issued a joint statement expressing sorrow and calling for action against smugglers.
