Man dies in failed Channel crossing attempt on French beach

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 14 Nov, 19:32 · Archive

A man in his 20s died after an attempted small boat crossing near Le Touquet, northern France.

The body of a man in his 20s was found on Sainte-Cecile beach near the town of Le Touquet, northern France, on Saturday morning. The French coastguard reported that a rescue team from France's Regional Operational Center for Surveillance had been deployed overnight to monitor migrants boarding a makeshift vessel at the beach.

French authorities stopped the vessel from departing before it could leave. The coastguard described the boarding process as chaotic. After the boat was stopped, a small craft and land-based units from the local fire and rescue service conducted a thorough sweep of the water but found no one.

Five men who had been involved in attempting to board the makeshift vessel were attended to by firefighters at the scene, as they were showing signs of hypothermia. The body of the man in his 20s was discovered on the beach at approximately 08:00 local time.

The French coastguard said an investigation will be opened to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The death marks another tragedy in what has become an increasingly dangerous route for people attempting to cross the Channel to the UK.

According to UK government data for the week ending 8 November, 903 migrants arrived by small boat in 14 boats, while 624 migrants were prevented from crossing. The incident comes as authorities on both sides of the Channel continue to grapple with attempts to prevent dangerous crossings.

How it is being reported

• Body of migrant washes up on French beach after 'chaotic' attempt to board dinghy to cross Channel - as fresh arrivals are spotted at DoverAn investigation is set to be launched to 'determine the circumstances surrounding the incident' on Sainte-Cecile beach near the town of Le Touquet, France, the coastguard has said.Daily Mail · 14 Nov, 16:39
• Channel migrant found dead on French beach after failed small boat crossingA man has died following an attempted small boat crossing across the English channel. The French coastguard said authorities found the body of the man on Sainte-Cecile beach, near the coastal town of Le Touquet. A rescue team from France's Regional Operational Center for Surveillance (CROSS) had been deployed overnight to monitor the boarding migrants onto a "makeshift vessel" at the beach, it said. The body is believed to be of a man in his 20s. The coastguard has described the boarding process of the makeshift vessel as "chaotic". Five men who had involved in the onboarding were attended…GB News · 14 Nov, 13:11
• Body found on French beach after attempted Channel crossingThe man was found after authorities stopped and overloaded dinghy leaving the beach overnight.BBC News · 14 Nov, 12:44

In this story: France · Le Touquet · Sainte-Cecile beach · English Channel · CROSS

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log