A woman has died after an inflatable dinghy suffered what authorities described as a “catastrophic deflation” while attempting to cross the English Channel, Kent Police and the coastguard said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred about 10 miles off the coast of Dover at around 12:30 p.m. HM Coastguard alerted emergency services after reports of a small boat in difficulty. One woman was airlifted back to shore but was pronounced dead at a medical facility, Kent Police said. Officers are conducting enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
HM Coastguard said it deployed UK Border Force vessels, RNLI lifeboats and HM Coastguard aircraft in response to the reported small-boat activity, and issued a mayday call to other shipping in the area. A Border Force vessel, carrying people thought to have been picked up during the rescue, arrived at the Port of Dover just after 3 p.m. and those aboard, including some children, were seen disembarking wearing life jackets.
A government spokesperson said: "One passenger was found unresponsive and was given CPR. Sadly, we can now confirm that this individual has died. We are shocked and saddened by this tragic incident. Our immediate thoughts are with all of those who have been affected." The spokesperson added that the incident underlined the dangers of small-boat crossings and reiterated the government’s commitment to preventing people-smuggling.
Officials did not release the number of people on the dinghy at the time of the deflation. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency described the rescue response as involving Border Force vessels, RNLI lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter.
Channel crossings by small boats have risen in recent years. French coastguard figures show that around 50 people died while attempting to cross in the previous year, and the International Organization for Migration has reported further migrant deaths believed linked to crossing attempts in 2024. British authorities said more than 1,000 migrants arrived by small boat on the weekend preceding Tuesday’s incident, bringing arrivals this year to more than 30,000.
New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the crossings were "utterly unacceptable" and said she would take measures to stem the arrivals, including transferring migrants from hotels to army barracks and considering changes to human rights laws to make it easier to refuse and deport asylum claimants. Ms Mahmood also said a deal with France to return illegal migrants would begin soon and that she expected the first returns to take place "imminently."
Kent Police said enquiries were continuing to establish the full circumstances of Tuesday’s incident and asked anyone with information to come forward. The Port of Dover and Border Force declined to provide further immediate comment beyond confirming their involvement in the rescue and disembarkation of those recovered from the vessel.
The tragedy adds to mounting concerns among authorities and aid organisations about the safety of Channel crossings and the role of people-smugglers. Investigations by police and maritime agencies will seek to determine how the vessel became overloaded and what led to the inflatable’s deflation.