Overcrowded migrant boat with 57 onboard sinks in Channel – four women and toddler rescued
A small boat carrying 57 migrants, including four women and a toddler, sank near the coast of Calais while trying to cross the Channel. One person was hospitalized after the incident.
The boat suddenly lost air and began to sink on Sunday, prompting a large rescue operation. One person, who was unconscious, was quickly airlifted to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer for urgent medical care.
The maritime authorities overseeing the Channel and the North Sea explained that their rescue teams were sent to the area to save and recover all 57 people on the boat. According to a source speaking to the French news outlet BFMTV, a regional surveillance and rescue center had been tracking the boat since it left and sent a ship to assist it.
Among the passengers, three needed medical attention. One was unconscious, and two others were suffering from hypothermia due to the cold water. The rest of the survivors were brought to Calais by a rescue ship called the Ridens. They were met by emergency services on land around 9:45 in the morning.
Police and firefighters also rushed to the scene to help after medical teams were called in. The rescue operation involved multiple agencies working together to ensure everyone was safely brought to shore and given the care they needed.
