Firefighter missing in English Channel during charity swim

The search for a “highly respected and much-loved” firefighter who disappeared as he attempted to swim the English Channel for charity has been called off.

Iain Hughes, crew manager at Wednesbury fire station, West Midlands, set off from the Kent coast on Tuesday morning accompanied by a support boat but went missing later that day in French waters.

A large search including French and Belgian military helicopters was launched to find the married father-of-two but has now been called off, French authorities confirmed.

Mr Hughes, 42, had trained for nearly two years for his cross-Channel charity swim, his employer the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said.

According to his JustGiving page, he had raised more than £5,000 of a £21,000 target for the British Heart Foundation, Firefighters Charity, and Midlands Air Ambulance – representing £1,000 for each mile of his swim.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, WMFS chief fire officer Wayne Brown said: “Iain’s disappearance is unspeakably sad.

“We are giving Iain’s family all the support we can at this distressing time.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone close to Iain.

“He is a highly respected and much-loved colleague and friend to many.”