Several small boats made the risky journey over the weekend, and one person died trying to cross the Channel in an overloaded dinghy.
Following a request for assistance in the early hours of Sunday morning, thirty-four more people were saved from what was described as a “migrant boat” off the northern French port of Calais, according to French authorities.
At least 6 people died in the most recent occurrence comes after 3 different incidents.
the Channel from July 12 to July 19. A party of over fifty individuals, including children, were transported into Dover on a UK Border Force vessel on Saturday.
According to the French marine authority the most recent victim was unconscious during the early hours of Sunday morning.
The cause of the death was attributed by the authorities to “a new phenomenon of people dying at sea not by drowning. (but) by illness or in a crush.” according to the AFP news agency.
After being transported by a French naval helicopter to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, they were pronounced dead.
There were reportedly at least 75 passengers on board the ship. Some were removed, but the others declined the help that was provided during the rescue, and the ship was allowed to continue sailing under the watchful eye of a French patrol boat.
Premar issued a statement saying, “The decision was made to let the other people on the boat continue on their way, given the risks of falling overboard or injury to people in the event of forced intervention.”
According to data of UK Home Office, 342 persons crossed the Channel in seven boats in the week ending on Saturday. More than 12,000 individuals have crossed over so far this year, based on preliminary data released in mid-june
