Channel crossing: ‘Man dies and baby among 6 rushed to hospital’ after boat capsizes | World | News
Six people, including a baby, were rushed to hospital and a man died after a small boat heading to the UK capsized in the Channel, it has been reported. At approximately 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday, emergency services were alerted to a serious incident involving a water taxi commonly used to transport migrants across the sea.
The vessel was forced to stop near the Neufchâtel-Hardelot nautical base after one of its passengers suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest. Rescue teams responded rapidly, establishing contact with the boat and coordinating the disembarkation of several passengers. When the vessel reached shore, around 50 people were found on board, while a further 100 individuals were gathered on the beach waiting in the hope of boarding and continuing the crossing.
According to the reporrs, the victim was a man in his forties who sadly died despite extensive resuscitation efforts carried out by emergency responders at the scene. In addition to the fatality, six other individuals required medical treatment and were transferred to hospitals across the region.
Those taken into care included a 17-year-old girl who was transported to Boulogne-sur-Mer Hospital, two young women aged 20 and 30, and a 33-year-old woman. Rescue teams also assisted a 34-year-old man and a one-year-old baby, both of whom were safely recovered and received medical attention.
The busiest day for migrant arrivals in the UK so far in 2026 was June 15, when 710 people crossed the Channel and reached British shores.
Since the current small-boat migration crisis began in 2018, the highest number of arrivals recorded in a single day remains 3 September 2022, when 1,305 migrants made the crossing.
Home Office data shows that 13,376 migrants have arrived in the UK via the Channel so far this year, representing a 45 percent decrease compared with the same point last year and a 19 percent reduction against the equivalent period in 2024.
Despite the overall decline, crossings have continued in recent days, with more than 900 migrants arriving within just five days of Andy Burnham entering Number 10, including 165 people aboard a so-called “mega dinghy”.
