Video footage has emerged showing a young boy being rescued from the English Channel after a man appeared to abandon him in the water while trying to board a dinghy. The clip was filmed near Berck beach, about 30 miles south of Boulogne, on Monday afternoon.
The boy, thought to be aged about three or four, is seen being carried through the waves by a man. The man then appears to leave the child face-up in the water while attempting to climb onto the dinghy. A member of the French lifeboat organisation, the SNSM, is seen pulling the man back while lifting the boy to safety and placing him on a surfboard.
Rescue caught on camera
The child, dressed in a black hooded anorak and an orange lifejacket, was left floating in the sea for a few seconds before being picked up. It is not known if or how the man and the boy are connected.
The video emerged on Thursday, the same day the Home Office confirmed 781 migrants arrived in Britain on Wednesday. That figure beats the previous high so far this year of 752 on July 29.
Record crossing numbers
The number is more than five times the average seen on a normal 'red day' – when weather conditions and other factors make Channel crossings more likely. It follows two "uncontrolled landings" earlier this week, when small migrant boats reached Kent without being intercepted by the authorities.
Overall numbers remain significantly down compared to previous years. A Home Office spokesman said: "Our progress this year in tackling small boats is indisputable – with crossings down by 42 per cent and the lowest recorded over the summer months since 2020. But this week's events show that while the peaks we are seeing are far below those of previous years, we need to push further and harder in order to eradicate this vile trade."
