Three people have died and others are in hospital after a dinghy trying to leave Sangatte beach in Calais, France, found itself in difficulty after a large number of people tried to get on board
Three people have died and four others have been taken to hospital after dozens of people tried to board a dinghy leaving France.
The dinghy got into difficultly trying to leave a French beach for the Kent coast after dozens of people tried to get on board, according to French coastguard officers. The horrific scene unfolded soon after dawn on Sunday at Sangatte beach, on the coast at Calais, in northern France, before attempted to continue to the UK.
Charity worker, Flore Judet, said: “A boat was supposed to set off with sixty people on board, but a group of fifty additional people tried to get on the boat. This created extreme panic, causing many to end up in the water.”
French emergency services rushed to the area, and managed to rescue people from the water and get them to safety at the Tom Southville sailing training centre in Sangatte. A spokesman for the Maritime Prefecture said: “Around fifty people were being treated on land following the major rescue operation. A Naval helicopter was involved in taking people ashore. Seven people have been rushed to hospital, while others were treated at the scene for hypothermia.”
The spokesman said the search was continuing on Sunday morning, and there were fears the death toll could rise. The Prefecture Maritime covering the English Channel and North Sea said a number of migrant boats were reported attempting the crossing around 6am today.
They said: “A departure of one of the boats from the beach of Sangatte encountered difficulties during boarding with about 50 people remaining in the water and on the beach.” Following the incident, a huge air and sea operation was launched and 45 people were assisted by the emergency services onto land. Four were transported to the hospitals of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The spokesperson added: “The French Navy’s helicopter recovered three inanimate people. First aid was immediately provided to them at the Tom Souville nautical base. Their death was confirmed by the medical teams of the SMUR. “At the same time, the search for potential shipwrecked people at sea has been going on since this morning. An investigation has been opened by the public prosecutor’s office in Boulogne-sur-Mer”.
They confirmed 48 people had been rescued and three had died. Two unidentified migrants were known to have died soon after 6am, while a third body was found in the sea at 10am. None of the dead have yet been identified, and it is not known whether they drowned, or were suffocated on the packed boat. Many suffered hypothermia in the extremely cold sea, while others did not have life jackets and could not stay afloat.
People smugglers were seen around the area before the boat set off, and it is likely that rival gangs tried to claim use of the same boat, said another witness. The boat used, appeared to be designed for around 12 people maximum, said the same source. It is expected to arrive in Britain later today.
Since the beginning of 2024, 76 people have died while attempting to cross to England on makeshift boats organised by people smugglers. Guy Allemand, the Mayor of Sangatte, said: “It doesn’t stop. It’s crossing after crossing. There is no decrease in the numbers – it’s quite the opposite.”
A UK Government spokesman said 305 people arrived in England via small boat last Friday alone, bringing the total for the week to 1,163. The 407 arrivals on Boxing Day – a December 26 – meant more than 150,000 people had made the crossing from France since records began on January 1, 2018.