Man dies trying to cross English Channel to the UK
When the boat arrived at the beach, a man was found on board in cardiac arrest, the Pas-de-Calais department's sub-prefecture told the PA news agency.
Despite emergency services intervening at the scene, the man died soon after.
According to UK Home Office provisional statistics, almost 24,000 people have arrived on small boats in the UK in 2025.
An investigation is under way under the authority of the prosecutor to determine the circumstances of the man's death, the French authorities confirmed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Minute's silence held at Croke Park for mother and children killed in Maguiresbridge
Vanessa Whyte and her two teenage children were honoured with a minute's silence at Croke Park on Sunday, just moments before throw-in at the All Ireland senior football final between the Donegal and Kerry men's teams. Ms Whyte (45), her son James (14) and daughter Sara (13) died following a fatal shooting at her Maguiresbridge home in Co Fermanagh earlier this week. Emergency services were called to the address via a 999 call from within the house, shortly before 8.30am on Wednesday morning. Ms Whyte, who was recently promoted to a senior veterinary role within the Department of Agriculture, was pronounced dead at the scene alongside Sara. James later passed away from his injuries at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. The PSNI confirmed their lines of investigation include a suspected triple homicide and attempted suicide. Maguiresbridge vigil takes place as book of condolence opens at young shooting victims' former school Ian Rutledge – father to the teenagers and husband to Ms Whyte – is believed to have suffered self-inflicted gunshot wounds and is currently in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. He is the main suspect in the killings. On Sunday afternoon, just before the Irish national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, was played at Croke Park, an image of Ms Whyte, Sara and James was displayed on the stadium's main large screen, and the crowd led a minute's silence tribute for the three family members, who were dedicated players and fans of the GAA. Text on the screen at Croke Park read: 'Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha' – which translates from Irish into English as: 'May their souls be seated on God's right hand.' All three were 'beloved and active' members of St Mary's Maguiresbridge Gaelic Football Club and Lisbellaw Hurling Club. The hurling club said that Ms Whyte was 'first and foremost a devoted mum to James and Sara and they were the centre of her world'. A spokesperson added: 'James came to us at four years old, miles ahead of his peers in his ability and skill. He was a quiet, cheeky lovable rogue and at the same time a leader for his teammates as their captain a number of times over the years. He came up through the ranks with a small group of very close friends who forged a bond that will be forever remembered. 'Sara followed up a year later and even when she was the only girl on the team this didn't phase her, she could hurl with any of them. She was quiet but by no means a pushover and could stand up for herself on the pitch. She was gutted when the rules meant she couldn't continue to hurl after under 12 and there was no camogie for her to play. "Even after finishing playing, she was the boy's main supporter at every game, pucking the ball alongside them. Every function or event we held she was always Mam's right hand woman ready to run here and there as needed. We will all miss her quiet presence and lovely smile.' Meanwhile, a separate tribute from St Mary's GFC reads: 'Vanessa's devotion to her family and our games was well known, but to say she wore her heart on her sleeve seems like an understatement in Vanessa's case. Vanessa's heart was there for everyone to see each and every time James and Sara would take to the pitch. She had a passion for our games that encompassed everything good about the GAA showing dedication, sportsmanship, and camaraderie, and it was clear to see how Vanessa instilled these same values in her children. 'Captain of our U14 team this year, James' energy and drive was the heartbeat of our team and he had the confidence to be vocal and show leadership to younger team members. "During games his enthusiasm and strength of character was only echoed by that of Vanessa and Sara who would inevitably be cheering him on from the sideline. At training, those of us lucky enough to be involved would see James the joker. "His playfulness and sense of humour may have earned his teammates more push-ups than they would've like on occasion, but his light-hearted nature and kindness always enhanced team morale and made our time together all the more enjoyable and memorable. 'A part of our ladies club, Sara displayed a mix of quiet resolve with dogged determination. An exceptionally well behaved girl, Sara was a joy to be around and always had a smile on her face. Like Vanessa and James, Sara shared a love of all things GAA and their beloved County Clare, a regular source of playful goading, which we will now forever miss. 'Our club has lost 3 treasured members, and our community has lost 3 great personalities. It will take time to come to terms with this loss and our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose lives they have touched.' Ms Whyte was originally from Co Clare, and was an avid fan of its inter-county hurling team also. A prayer service will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Ms Whyte's home village of Barefield tonight at 7pm.
Spectator
14 hours ago
- Spectator
Falling victim to a hate crime taught me a dark lesson about Europe
As a Brit, and in spite of a little Brexaustion, I hold a certain romanticised view of central Europe. I know I am not alone. It is, I am sure, a place of high culture, animated coffee shop conversations, and romantic walks through cobbled streets. The sun is always warm, and life plays out at a more relaxed pace than here in Britain – as three flags flying in Brussels' Grand Place confirmed for me, it is a place to 'love', 'live', and 'unite'. With a weekend to kill in Brussels, I did what any single gay man would: I downloaded the apps and arranged a date. Perhaps it was the magic of the city, a beautifully relaxed metropolis, or the breezy beauty of the botanical gardens, where we had met, but things went well. Emerging from the gardens, I revelled in my own little European romance – all things were possible, I knew, and the sun was shining. And then, as we emerged from the park, carefree and hand-in-hand, we were assaulted. To someone who has never experienced it, it is impossible to describe the bewildering emotions of a confrontation like this. First there is the confusion, tinged with a little disbelief – one forgets that this is a thing that happens, and even the reasoning that underpins the aggression feels alien. There's then the gut-wrenching awareness that you are in danger, along with an instinct to protect the boy holding your hand. You count the numbers, in our case six versus two, and vainly search for a way to diffuse that incomprehensible aggression. If you're lucky, you back away, ashamed of your timidity, but knowing in that moment that there is no other option. We were lucky to get away unharmed, but we struggled with the experience for days afterwards. Our crime? Their French was broken, but, when hate is shouted loudly enough, language ceases to be a barrier. There were children in the park, our behaviour was both disgusting and immoral, and we must leave immediately. As they muscled towards us, in mixed Islamic religious dress, liberally spitting at our feet, we struggled to respond. Raising our hands, and with a show of contrition, we retreated. Thankfully, they followed us only half way down the road. Now walking quite distinctly apart, the streets took on a different aspect. Searching for safety, we walked for three blocks before we again found a street that looked like Brussels. As we looked for safety, I felt in my gut what is often said in the abstract and which had felt abstract until that moment: that a way of life, and its values, are under direct threat. It feels very much more real when your own liberties are being forcefully curtailed under the direct threat of violence. Over the next few days I shared my story with everyone from local politicians to barmen. Their faces showed the same weary resignation. They were sorry to hear that it happened, but not surprised. 'That part of the city isn't safe after dark, anymore,' said one. 'It happens all the time', I was told. The accusation of immorality is the one that lingers; it's novel by the standards of good old-fashioned British homophobia. Call me a 'fag', if you like, but 'immoral' feels altogether more insidious. A deep-rooted sense of moral superiority is hard to shift – and yet that is what the chimeric 'integration' would require. Could I have convinced those boys that embracing my immorality would be a virtue? Viewed through their limited – in scope, but not in conviction – moral lens, Western permissiveness isn't something to emulate: it's something to denigrate. We are all immoral. All this can pull us very easily towards a feeling that integration is failing, and that the landscapes of our cities and of our lives are being rewritten around us. Indeed, perhaps that freedom of expression, easy equality, and the ability to live openly that I grew up taking for granted, are no longer guaranteed. I feel that current now, and the sense of acute disillusionment that it brings, because it confronted me in Brussels. What hit me most strongly that day is that the threat doesn't feel real until it's you being threatened – until it's your liberties and your safety at risk. Those protesting today across the UK and Europe, against failures in social integration, are beginning to resort to violence, out of a frustration and anger that they are being ignored. Perhaps though, they are just the first to feel as I did in that moment, because it is their communities that are being confronted with those failures. Whether it's your street that's no longer safe after dark, or you that's accused of moral indecency and forced from the streets of Europe's capital, one thing becomes disorientatingly and confrontingly clear: something must be done.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- South Wales Guardian
Man dies trying to cross English Channel to the UK
A boat attempting to reach English shores turned back towards Equihen beach in northern France on Saturday morning. When the boat arrived at the beach, a man was found on board in cardiac arrest, the Pas-de-Calais department's sub-prefecture told the PA news agency. Despite emergency services intervening at the scene, the man died soon after. Later on Saturday an RNLI lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover. Pictures taken by the PA news agency showed a group of migrants huddled under blankets and orange life jackets aboard the boat. According to UK Home Office provisional statistics, almost 24,000 people have arrived on small boats in the UK in 2025. An investigation is under way under the authority of the prosecutor to determine the circumstances of the man's death, the French authorities confirmed.
