Ramsgate RNLI among crews involved in major operation after small boat capsizes making Channel crossing to UK

Ramsgate RNLI

Ramsgate RNLI is among the crews tasked to a search and rescue during the early hours of this morning (December 14) after a small boat carrying almost 50 people capsized in the English Channel.

Some 43 people have been brought to shore and it is understood four people have died in their attempt to make the crossing from France.

A multi-agency operation got underway at a little after 3am involving HM Coastguard, Navy, Border Force, RNLI crews from Ramsgate, Dover, Dungeness, Hastings, Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service as well as the French Navy.

A HM Coastguard spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard continues to coordinate a search and rescue response to an incident involving a small boat off Kent, working with the Navy, Border Force, Kent Police and other partners. We have sent Dover, Dungeness, Hastings and Ramsgate RNLI lifeboats and Deal, Dungeness and Folkestone coastguard rescue teams, along with the coastguard area commander.

“HM Coastguard helicopters from Humberside, Lydd and Lee on Solent and one from the French Navy are also involved. A fishing vessel in the area is also assisting in the rescue. South East Coast Ambulance and Kent Police are working with us and an air ambulance has been sent.

“The incident is ongoing and we have no further information.

“HM Coastguard will continue to safeguard life around the seas and coastal areas of the UK, working with search and rescue resources in the area. If a vessel needs search and rescue assistance, HM Coastguard will continue to respond to all those in need.”

An RNLI spokesperson added: “Volunteer crews from several RNLI stations on the south east coast are involved in an on-going search and rescue response in the Channel being co-ordinated by HM Coastguard. Due to this being an on-going incident we have no further information at present.”

East Kent Hospitals was placed on standby in the early hours of this morning following the incident and was stood down at around 9am. It is understood some of those rescued from the water have been taken to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman will give an update on the situation following Prime Minister’s Questions at about 12.30pm.

She said earlier today: “I am aware of a distressing incident in the Channel this morning and I am being kept constantly updated while agencies respond and urgently establish the full facts. My heartfelt thoughts are with all those involved.”

16 Comments

  1. And despite this incident, there are still some evil people who comment on here who think they should make this crossing. As bad as the smugglers.

      • If you look at the area being searched on the BBC news page they were searching both sides of the meridian. If they were rescued by the French navy or Air Rescue, and it would be quicker to transfer them directly to a French hospital rather than transfer them to a English boat then be air lifted by the Air sea rescue and taken to the U.K. Dont you think time is of the essence, Does it matter where they were rescued, it is better to be alive.

  2. If there are three still missing then in this weather there is not much hope, even if they had life jackets. The kids in the water a few days back had heart attacks. Tories pathetic tabloid headline, vote winning announcements yesterday will do next to nothing to stop the crossings & they know it.

  3. The stowaways that come over in lorries via ferries should be arrested as such and locked up and deported. They put the lives of passengers and crew in danger.

  4. Lets get this right , if I want to risk my life wherever I come from or what I want to escape or hope to gain its my choice same a if I want to jump over the cliff or in the sea its my choice .
    This can happen with some things , we get in our cars or walk down the street do we want to end up in a fatal accident, no it won’t happen to us .
    I have no idea if the people were forced in the boat.
    This is all stopping next year anyway , as per my next post if can find it.

    • Well there is a lot more risk in being suffocated to death or boiling alive in the back of a lorry with a driver that could care less than there is crossing the road or walking on the pavement.

      None of us do-but we know that often at gunpoint people are forced into them when they see the condition of the dinghy etc & decide they don’t want to go. Also worth bearing in mind that there are a lot of young children/infants on board that haven’t made a choice.

      Cannot see your next post, but if you honestly believe that nonsense announced yesterday like the pittance to France a couple of weeks back is going to make any difference then there is a bridge for sale.

      It is just the usual Daily Fail/Express rebel rousing nonsense to try to win votes-like putting officials at airplanes in Albania when the people are coming via sea, still why not waste some more money like with the Rwanda fiasco-which he announced is also being revived-despite no airline willing to fly people & it still being in the courts as to whether it is even legal, useless PPE deals with their dodgy mates etc? You cannot honestly think this going away in 2023?

      • new legislation to make unambiguously clear that if you enter the UK illegally you should not be able to remain here.”
        Mr Sunak says this new law would mean that people could be “detained and swiftly returned” to their home country or somewhere else – meaning, in theory, Rwanda or an EU destination.

        The UN’s refugee agency says the government’s proposals would deny people access to the legal asylum system because of how they arrived.

        There is also speculation that the government wants to resurrect the “Detained Fast Track” – a Labour government scheme that was suspended in 2015 after critics won a legal battle to prove it was unfair. Supporters of DFT say it was valuable in weeding out unfounded claims quickly.

        By the way – the Rwanda scheme is still in the courts and there’s no deal to send people back to the EU because ministers did not include it in the Brexit agreement.

        Agree it won’t work but maybe just maybe save a few lives.
        As I said in a previous post accidents will always happen and with over 500000 the deaths could be a lot more.
        Its the gangs who make big money that need to be stopped but that will never happen.

  5. Can someone please give me an answer especially the we welcome the refugee brigade, they come here to claim asylum? Yes? Why don’t they claim asylum in the first safe country they enter why here? What’s so fascinating about the uk??

    • Maybe the word got round England damm fine place , free nhs, dentist , housing etc etc ,
      Just a thought.
      I cannot get a doctors appointment been trying for weeks but guess if I went down the beach and said the boat sunk I would get medical help within an hour.

    • It rather begs the question how bad the facilities are in France, that they would risk their lives to get locked up in Manston.

  6. Why my post been removed onot asked why they dont claim asylum in first safe country they come to and asked the fasanation with the uk

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