French authorities have confirmed the tragic death of an individual after a small boat, described as “overloaded,” sank while attempting to navigate the English Channel. The incident, which occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday, led to the rescue of 62 individuals from the water, according to the Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea. A French Navy helicopter involved in the search discovered an unconscious person in the water, who was later pronounced dead by medical personnel on a French assistance and rescue intervention tug.
Among those rescued, a mother and her baby were transported to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, suffering from hypothermia. The French tug managed to recover 50 individuals, while the RNLI and the Border Force Ranger saved two and nine people, respectively. The remaining survivors were taken to the Boulogne-sur-Mer quay for further assistance from land rescue services. Tragically, this incident follows another migrant death in April during an attempt to cross the Channel.
Statistics reveal that over 12,500 individuals have crossed the English Channel on small boats in the year 2025 so far. Comparatively, in April, there was a 42% increase in the number of Channel crossings via small boats compared to the same period in 2024, with a total of 6,265. This year also saw an 81% rise in crossings compared to the same time in 2023 when the total was 4,899. Home Office data indicates that the number of arrivals in small boats during the first four months of 2025 surpasses any previous year since the collection of data on Channel crossings began in 2018. These statistics emerge amidst government promises to combat people-smuggling activities in the Channel
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