Migrant Struggling to Climb Onto Dinghy Heading to the UK Does Something Terrifying in the Sea

A young child was rescued by French authorities after being left floating in the sea during an attempt by migrants to board an overcrowded small boat heading towards the UK.

Video footage from the incident appears to show a man carrying the toddler against his chest as he walked through the water towards a black inflatable dinghy.

As he struggled against the current and tried to reach the crowded boat, the man appeared to let go of the child. The youngster, who was wearing an orange life jacket, was then seen floating alone in the water.

For several worrying seconds, the child remained face-up in the sea while the man continued towards the dinghy.

Two members of the French sea rescue organisation SNSM quickly stepped in and rescued the child from the water. The man was then seen trying to get himself onto the overcrowded boat.

The incident reportedly happened in shallow water off Berck beach in northern France, around 30 miles south of Boulogne, on Monday.

It is not clear whether the man seen carrying the toddler was the child’s father or another relative.

The footage has once again highlighted the serious dangers faced by adults and children attempting to cross the English Channel in small and overcrowded boats.

The video emerged as French authorities dealt with other serious incidents involving people attempting the dangerous journey to Britain.

In a separate incident, a man died while attempting to cross the Channel after trouble reportedly broke out aboard a small boat. Another man, aged 29, showed signs of hypothermia and received emergency treatment.

He was later taken to hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer. French authorities said he did not require extensive medical treatment.

French police also confirmed that another man’s body had been discovered on Neufchâtel-Hardelot beach in northern France.

Deaths in the English Channel have become a major concern as thousands of people continue to attempt the journey in small boats. Figures compiled by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford recorded around 162 known deaths linked to attempted small-boat crossings between 2018 and 2025.

The report said 2024 was particularly deadly, with estimates suggesting between 69 and 84 people lost their lives. Overcrowding and the poor condition of some of the boats used for the journey have added to concerns about the risks involved.

Meanwhile, almost 800 people were reported to have crossed the Channel in small boats in the latest arrivals. Provisional Home Office figures put the total number of small-boat arrivals so far this year at 18,565.

The issue has also led to fresh political questions about border security and how the Government is responding to people reaching the UK by small boats.

Lucy Powell was questioned by GB News about whether people who had entered the UK illegally during recent incidents had been detained.

She said the Home Secretary had demanded answers and ordered a quick review into what had happened.

Powell acknowledged that small-boat crossings remained a challenge but said the Government had seen a significant reduction in crossings this year and argued that measures introduced by the Government were having an effect.

She also said action was being taken and that people who entered the country in these circumstances were being detained.

The dramatic footage of the toddler being left in the water has nevertheless brought renewed attention to the human dangers involved in Channel crossings, particularly when young children are caught up in overcrowded and dangerous journeys at sea.