A migrant who tried to swim to the United Kingdom wearing a wetsuit has been rescued when a cross-Channel ferry ship made a U-turn to save him, the authorities announced. According to the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, the man in his 30s had been spotted 20 kilometers (11 nautical miles) north of Calais.
A rescue operation began at 10:40 GMT on Monday, November 11. The prefecture said that Pride of Canterbury ferry had turned around to retrieve the man who suffered from severe hypothermia. The P&O crew spotted the migrant and sent a rescue boat to retrieve him. At 12:23 the man was hoisted up by a helicopter and flown back to Calais.
The prefecture warned migrants who planned to cross the Channel, it was "one of the busiest areas in the world and therefore dangerous for human life".
The rescue operation took place after on Sunday more than 50 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats. Border Force ships were sent to meet one dinghy at around 07:00 GMT, with 2 further boats spotted at around 23:30. The 53 people on board were taken to Dover UK where they were medically assessed and passed to immigration officials for an interview, the Home Office revealed.
For other Pride of Canterbury accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.