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last mo.

Migrant Dies After Cardiac Arrest on English Channel Crossing Attempt

Prosecutors opened a probe following the fatal cardiac arrest on a small-boat crossing that raises this year’s Channel death toll to 18.

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GRAVELINES, FRANCE - JUNE 17: A man wades into the water as a dinghy waits to load migrants to sail into the English Channel on June 17, 2025 in Gravelines, France. A record number of migrants have made the illegal crossing from France to the UK via small boats so far this year. Figures surpassed the 16,000 mark last week, which is 42% more than the same point last year. The UK government has vowed to crackdown on people smugglers and illegal migration, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing as part of the government's spending review that the Border Security Command would be funded up to £280m more per year by the end of the review period in 2028-29. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • A man on board a small boat bound for the UK was discovered in cardiac arrest after the vessel turned back to Équihen beach and later pronounced dead.
  • The Pas-de-Calais sub-prefecture said firefighters and emergency crews were unable to revive the migrant after he was found on the vessel.
  • France’s Interior ministry figures confirm the victim’s death brings the confirmed 2025 Channel crossing fatalities to 18.
  • French prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine how the onboard cardiac arrest occurred and whether any negligence was involved.
  • Later on Saturday RNLI lifeboats delivered other migrants to the Port of Dover and Home Office provisional data show nearly 24,000 small-boat arrivals in the UK this year.