Freezing Channel Crossing Nightmare as Migrants Battle Hypothermia
Over 25 migrants faced freezing temperatures overnight as they attempted the perilous Channel crossing in a barely-seaworthy boat. Just after 3am on Wednesday, a Coastguard search plane using thermal imaging spotted the first vessel near the Channel Tunnel, closely shadowed by the French warship Abeille Languedoc.
Pregnant Woman Rescued as Boat Takes On Water
Multiple emergency calls were made to both French and UK Coastguards reporting passengers suffering from hypothermia and distress. The French warship kept close watch until the RNLI Dungeness lifeboat arrived shortly after 4.30am. Onboard was a seven-months-pregnant woman who was quickly rescued from the leaky craft.
The lifeboat had to abandon the sinking boat moments after the passengers were brought to safety as it rapidly filled with water.
Rescue Teams Rush to Save Vulnerable Migrants
Kent Police and two Coastguard rescue teams from Dungeness and Folkestone rushed to assist, joined by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary from Dungeness Power Station. Police medics treated a five-year-old boy and a woman for suspected hypothermia.
“With so many on these boats, there’s a real concern we could see another tragedy,” a rescue source warned.
Migrant Crossings Hit Record High Despite Deadly Risks
More people left France’s northern shores earlier than usual on Wednesday, hoping to seize a rare moment of calm seas – despite chilling waters below freezing.
Crossings have surged to record levels this year, with overcrowded dinghies overloaded by ruthless human traffickers. These boats are often barely afloat, engines low on fuel, and vulnerable to treacherous waves.
Despite Home Secretary Priti Patel’s pledge that stopping these small-boat crossings is her “number one priority,” the dangerous journeys continue unabated, pushing rescue teams to the breaking point.
