Man and dog rescued near Brighton after three days in dinghy
A man and a dog, believed to have spent three days at sea in an inflatable dinghy, have been rescued off the coast of East Sussex.A lifeboat crew picked up the pair between Brighton Marina and Brighton Palace Pier on Wednesday.The man, believed to be a migrant that had attempted to cross the English Channel, was heard telling rescuers he found the dog in a French refugee camp.Emergency services launched a rescue operation after a red flare was spotted at about 18:30 BST.
The man, who is thought to be from Afghanistan, and the dog were taken ashore about an hour later.It is believed they had been drifting for three days in the dinghy after its engine failed.
A HM Coastguard spokesperson said the man was located "safe and well" in a vessel that had reportedly experienced engine issues.A coastguard helicopter, lifeboats from Shoreham and Brighton, and coastguard rescue teams from Shoreham and Newhaven were deployed to the incident, they added.Sussex Police said it had assisted HM Coastguard during the incident and that the man and the dog were passed to Border Force officials.
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BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Man and dog rescued near Brighton after three days in dinghy
A man and a dog, believed to have spent three days at sea in an inflatable dinghy, have been rescued off the coast of East Sussex.A lifeboat crew picked up the pair between Brighton Marina and Brighton Palace Pier on man, believed to be a migrant that had attempted to cross the English Channel, was heard telling rescuers he found the dog in a French refugee services launched a rescue operation after a red flare was spotted at about 18:30 BST. The man, who is thought to be from Afghanistan, and the dog were taken ashore about an hour is believed they had been drifting for three days in the dinghy after its engine failed. A HM Coastguard spokesperson said the man was located "safe and well" in a vessel that had reportedly experienced engine issues.A coastguard helicopter, lifeboats from Shoreham and Brighton, and coastguard rescue teams from Shoreham and Newhaven were deployed to the incident, they Police said it had assisted HM Coastguard during the incident and that the man and the dog were passed to Border Force officials.
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Telegraph
Migrant and his dog rescued from adrift Channel dinghy
A migrant and his small dog adrift in a rubber dinghy in the English Channel have been rescued by the Coastguard. The man, who gave his name as Barry and is thought to be an Afghan, was rescued off the East Sussex coast on Wednesday night after a red flare was spotted at 6.30pm. Emergency services launched a large-scale operation and brought him and his dog ashore at 7.30pm. The man was heard telling rescuers he found the dog, which he called Bella, apparently a Lancashire Heeler, in a migrant camp in France. It is believed they had been drifting for three days in the tiny dinghy after the engine failed. A spokesman for the Coastguard said: 'HM Coastguard has responded to reports of a person in the water in waters between Brighton Marina and Pier. 'A rescue helicopter was sent, alongside lifeboats from Shoreham and Brighton, and Coastguard rescue teams from Shoreham and Newhaven. 'A man was located safe and well in a vessel that had reportedly experienced engine issues.' A spokesman for Sussex Police said: 'Police assisted HM Coastguard following a report of a man in a boat off the coast of Brighton on Wednesday. 'The man and a dog were safely brought to shore and passed to Border Force officials.' The latest Channel crossing incident comes after Sir Keir Starmer admitted that the small-boats crisis was getting worse, and ahead of an expected surge in crossings due to warmer weather. The number of people arriving on small boats after crossing the Channel is more than 22 per cent higher so far this year than it was by this time in 2024. From the beginning of January until June 14, 16,317 migrants crossed to the UK. Last year, 13,489 had made the journey by the end of June. On Monday, another 228 people crossed in four boats, according to the latest Home Office figures. A further 134 people had managed to reach the UK on Saturday, in two small boats. On Friday, more than 900 migrants crossed in 14 boats – the single largest number for several weeks. Last Thursday, 52 reached the UK coast in one boat, and the day before 400 had made it across in six small boats.
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Lucky man survives 200ft fall at nudist beach but gets telling off from police
The lucky walker was dropped off and allowed to 'go on his way' after plummeting 60 metres from the top of Haven Cliffs near Sidmouth, in Devon, and onto a naturalist beach below A lucky walker who plummeted more than 200 ft onto a nudist beach walked away from the distressing experience with nothing more than a stern talking to. The unnamed man was walking atop the Haven Cliffs near Sidmouth, in Devon, when he plummeted more than 200 feet onto a nearby beach. He raised the alarm soon after by shouting for help, with a massive emergency response including police, a lifeboat and rescue helicopter being scrambled to his aid. But he was found miraculously unscathed on a beach popular with naturalists known for its unsettled geography, and speedily airlifted from the area. The man was spoken to by police after he had been lifted to safety, with a spokesperson for the Beer Coastguard Rescue Team saying he was then "allowed to go on his way" when he was rescued, with his calls for help having been heard by local kayakers. He had fallen on a recent large landslide which had carved an indent on the cliff face three months ago, and was dropped off back on top of the ledge where he had fallen. The spokesperson said: "We were tasked to a person fallen 60 metres from cliff top onto the recent landslide below Axecliff golf course. Sidmouth lifeboat gave directions for us to get directly above the casualty and coastguard teams set up a rope rescue system while the helicopter was en route in case they could not recover the casualty from the air. "Thankfully the helicopter was able to recover the uninjured man to the clifftop. He was spoken to by the police and taken to Lyme Regis and allowed to go on his way." A Lyme Regis coastguard spokesperson said emergency services were called when kayakers raised the alarm, having heard his calls for help. They said: "Coastguard teams from Lyme Regis and Beer were tasked following reports from two kayakers who, while east of the Axmouth estuary, heard cries for help from the adjacent cliffs. "The kayakers' prompt and appropriate action in contacting HM Coastguard initiated a multi-agency response to assess the reported distress. "Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat, undergoing training exercises nearby, was immediately redeployed to the kayakers' position. Their crew successfully confirmed the source of concern and commenced a sea-based shoreline search of the area. Following a brief but effective search, Sidmouth Lifeboat guided the Beer and Lyme Regis rope rescue teams to the precise cliff-top location, around 60 meters above the casualties location. "While a rope rescue system was prepared for deployment, the inherent instability of the cliffs and the associated risk of further rockfalls necessitated a re-evaluation of the extraction method to ensure optimal safety." "As a precaution coastguard helicopter Rescue 187 was dispatched to the scene. The helicopter crew performed a delicate winch operation, safely recovering the casualty from the cliff face and transferring them into the aircraft. This incident underscores the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation in complex rescue scenarios." Locals were stunned the man was uninjured, with Daisy Atkin telling Jam Press someone was "looking out for him". She said: "Uninjured after a 60 metre fall. Someone is looking out for him." Fiona Gripton said: "We are lucky to have all these people putting their lives at risk to help others. Well done and thank you." And Susan Gardner added: "Well done, always there when needed." The area is a hotspot for erosion and cliff falls. In March, another walker was seen sitting beneath the perilous cliff just moments after thousands of rocks plunged onto the beach. Local coastguard organisations have warned people to avoid the area.
