Infant is feared dead and man drowns as migrant boat capsizes off French coast in stormy weather trying to cross Channel to UK
An infant is feared dead and a man has drowned as a migrant boat capsized off French coast in stormy weather trying to cross Channel to UK.
Three of the 17 people rescued went into cardiac arrest, including two children, the deputy prefect for the region, Herve Tourmente, told journalists in Loon-Plage, outside Dunkirk.
The others are suffering from hypothermia after being pulled from the water after their small fishing boat capsized at around 9:30am, he said.
One person, who might be a child, is still missing after the boat capsized.
One person is feared dead and others are missing after a migrant boat capsized off the French coast while trying to cross the Channel to the UK. Pictured: A helicopter taking off from FREMM Frigate Normandie to help with the rescue
‘It seems that one person, who might be an infant, is still missing,’ Tourmente said, noting that stormy conditions had made the attempted crossing especially perilous.
A growing number of migrants have tried to cross the busy shipping lane for Britain in recent months, with four deaths recorded in 2019 and four again so far this year, including the victim from today.
In September, French authorities said they had intercepted over 1,300 people trying to reach the UK, including a handful who attempted to swim across the Channel.
These included French patrol boats and a helicopter from the Belgian Air Force as well as a fishing boat.
The search operation remains under way.
An investigation into the causes of the sinking has been launched by the Dunkirk public prosecutor.