Child dies off French coast in small boat Channel crossing attempt – reports

A child has died off France while attempting to cross the Channel in a small boat, according to local media.

The death of the youngster, who was believed to be a teenager, comes a day after two women died attempting to cross to the UK in a separate incident off the northern coast of France.

According to the Nord Littoral website, an investigation had been launched into the latest death which happened at about 6.30am on Sunday at Ecault beach, in Saint-Etienne-au-Mont.

It also said 48 migrants were cared for by emergency services but the boat carried on across the Channel.

Cecile Gressier, the prosecutor in Boulogne-sur-mer, told the local media website: “An investigation has been opened to determine the conditions of death. The age and nationality of the victim are not determined.”

Commander Jonathan Caruso added that “48 migrants were taken care of by the emergency services” and were brought back to the Equihen-Plage first aid station.

The deaths of the two women, reported to be from Somalia, happened after about 100 people had left northern France for the UK in a makeshift boat overnight on Friday into Saturday, French media said.

Around 60 people were rescued from the overnight incident and a couple and their child with moderate hypothermia were taken to a hospital in Boulogne, the reports said.

The incident happened south of the Neufchatel-Hardelot beaches between Boulogne and Le Touquet.

French newspaper La Voix Du Nord said the two women were at least the 20th Channel crossings deaths so far this year.

The number of migrants arriving in the UK is at a record for this point in the year since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.

Prior to Saturday, a total of 32,188 people have crossed the Channel to the UK by small boats.

The Home Office has not yet released figures for the number of people who made the journey on Saturday.

Last year, 50 people died while trying to cross the Channel, according to incidents recorded by the French coastguard, in what is considered the deadliest year since the crisis unfolded.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has also reported several more migrant deaths believed to be linked to crossing attempts in 2024 and this year.