A person has died after a boat carrying migrants got into difficulty this morning in the English Channel.
Authorities in France received a message just before midnight on Thursday (December 14) that a boat with more than 60 migrants on board was in difficulty in the Channel.
A rescue operation was launched immediately with France sending a boat which reached the stricken vessel about five miles from the coast around Calais about 30 minutes later.
When the rescue boat arrived it found people were already in the water as the vessel carrying the migrants was deflating.
Four more boats were sent to the rescue operation. A total of 66 people were rescued from the sea, but two were unconscious. One of the two was airlifted to hospital by helicopter. Their condition is said to be life-threatening.
The second person could not be revived. The others who had attempted to perilous crossing were taken back to France.
More to follow…
