RNLI releases footage of moment crews pulled 19 migrants from the sea as charity defends Channel rescues after 'taxi service' claims
Footage shows a group of screaming men thrashing around in the sea as RNLI volunteers throw mini life jackets - known as horseshoes - in their direction.
The migrants - who are wearing little more than t-shirts - are then seen clambering up the side of the boat before being hauled aboard.
One crew member, Dan Sinclair, said in the video: 'These people genuinely need our help. They are in distress. They have been in this situation for potentially hours on end and have become frozen - almost paralysed in position.'
The RNLI released the footage - filmed at 4.50am in August 2023 - as it defended its 'compassionate' small boat rescues, adding that the 114 it carried out last year amounted to just 1.2 per cent of total launches and led to 58 lives being saved.
All 19 people rescued by the RNLI in this incident survived, but six people pulled out of the sea died after being pulled from the sea by other attending vessels.
Lifeboat crew members - who are overwhelmingly volunteers - said they would continue to attend any incident the Coastguard sends them to and will go to the aid of anyone in trouble at sea.
Nigel Farage previously hit out at the RNLI by claiming it had become 'a taxi service for illegal immigration'.
Nearly 24,000 small boat migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year - sparking widespread public fury. Crossings continued today, with migrants seen running across a beach in northern France to pile onto an overcrowded dinghy.
Paula Lain, who works as a management consultant when she is not volunteering for the RNLI, told the BBC: 'When our pager goes, we're not thinking about anything political.
'We're all thinking about people. We're actively compassionate. That's what drives us beyond any moral or civic responsibility.
'When we're tasked, we don't know what we're going to be tasked to. We're there to help people in their most distressing times.'
The August 2023 incident shown in the footage was described as one of the RNLI's 'most challenging' rescues yet.
Many of the migrants swam directly to the lifeboat as soon as they spotted it and were pulled on board - joining 68 people who had already been rescued from another dinghy.
Some needed immediate medical attention and others collapsed with sheer exhaustion when they got to safety.
RNLI crew members said they have been accused of facilitating illegal immigration, but Mr Sinclair defended their work.
The beach at Gravelines is a common departure point for migrants. French police have been heavily criticised for failing to stop the departures
Recalling one recent rescue, he told the BBC: 'There was a little girl on that boat.
'When we took that little girl - who was probably four years old - off that boat, she looked at me straight in the eye and she said 'Thank you. I love you.'
'Now, as a father that went straight through my heart. I know I am in the right place at the right time and I am doing exactly what I should be doing.'
Photos taken this morning on a beach in Gravelines in northern France showed groups of migrants wading through waves towards a smuggler's dinghy, which already appeared to be dangerously overcrowded.
Officials are now planning to use AI to check migrants' ages after shocking figures showed four out of 10 who claimed to be children were lying.
Home Office figures show that between mid-2022 and June 2024, 11,449 age disputes were raised by UK Border Force staff. Some 8,791 were resolved with 3,570 - amounting to 40 per cent - having lied about being under 18.
A staggering 1,305 of those caught lying about their age were from Afghanistan, in a bid to get special protection in the UK.
Child refugees cannot be deported and have the right to the same healthcare, education and sustenance as British children.
Nigel Farage criticised the RNLI's lifeboat rescues in 2021, before he became leader of Reform.
Sharing a photo of a lifeboat 'rammed full' of migrants, he said: 'Sadly the wonderful RNLI in Kent has become a taxi service for illegal immigration, to the dismay of all involved. What a state of affairs.'
Simon Ling, head of lifeboats at RNLI said today: 'The core purpose of the RNLI is to save lives at sea. We strongly believe that whilst anyone can drown, nobody should.
'We do this across all of the UK and Ireland but the Channel attracts attention and we understand why.
'It polarises opinions, but to RNLI it's very simple - it's men and women getting up in the middle of the night to go and rescue fellow men and women.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
I was on FaceTime call with my best friend when she was killed in a horror car crash – her screams will haunt me forever
A YOUNG woman who was on FaceTime with her best pal when she was killed in a car crash says she'll be haunted by the memory forever. Ebony Neville heard tragic work colleague Stephanie Nye-Diroyan suddenly scream as the video call cut out. 9 9 9 The 21-year-old then began frantically trying to call her friend back before getting into her own car and driving along the same route, eventually coming across the crash site. Stephanie, 21, was a passenger in a BMW being driven by another work colleague, Ivan Zaliac, 24, when they ploughed into a lorry at nearly 100mph on Mollison Avenue, in Enfield North London. Ebony told The Sun: "Seconds before the phone cut out you could hear the engine revving and Stephanie's scream - then it froze on her face." She added: 'I tried to ring her back - I don't know what I was thinking had happened. 'I then got in my car and I didn't know where to go, I knew that they were in Brimsdown, in that local area, but I had no idea where.' Zaliac - who walked free from court last month after being deemed unfit to stand trial - had been giving Stephanie a lift on October 23 2022 after they finished work at nearby second hand car dealership Big Motoring World. Ebony was ill that day and Stephanie had agreed to stop off to see her on her way home when she died. The crash happened at 7.54pm. 'It was literally a quick call,' explained Ebony. 'She worked that day - it was a Sunday - and I wasn't in. 'It was a quick catch up, really. A catch up with a friend, that's all. She was such a good friend, she'd been non-stop checking in throughout the day - but couldn't ring me until she finished work. 'We were on the phone and then it froze on Stephanie's face, and the call cut out.' Three pedestrians injured by falling rubble as van crashes through multi-storey car park wall in UK city centre She added: 'I then rang her personal phone. I also rang Ivan's phone, both were disconnected and were being put through to voicemail.' Ebony said she waited 20 minutes and was 'still ringing during this time… just to try and find out what had happened'. She rang the police and found out there'd been a 'bad crash' in Brimsdown so 'drove around'. 'It wasn't too far from my house, it was about an 11-minute drive,' Ebony said. 'The road was blocked off. I hadn't been told who was involved in the crash or what had happened. 'I wasn't allowed to know any information.' She was then directed to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in the East End, where Stephanie had been taken. Holding back tears, Ebony said: 'I did everything I could that day and I wouldn't change anything. I went to the hospital… I wasn't allowed to know anything without Stephanie's mother knowing first.' 9 9 A screen shot she captured of Stephanie during the call, a few minutes before the crash, was shown in court. Ebony took to the stand to give evidence. She said: 'I was quite upset and ran out of the room immediately afterwards, and put myself together before returning.' Zailac suffers from amnesia and doesn't remember the details of what happened after suffering a brain injury in the collision and subsequent psychiatric issues. He had been ruled unfit to stand trial so the jury had to formally decide whether he did the act alleged, namely causing Stephanie's death by dangerous driving. The jury then found he did carry out the act. Judge Sarah Munro, KC, said Zailac will be supervised by a nominated social worker and the Hillingdon mental health team for two years. 'This is the only way your mental health can be restored in order for a decision to be made as to whether there are further legal consequences for you to face,' the judge said. Prosecutor Frederick Hookway told the court that the Crown intends to put Zailac on trial if he recovers. 'The objective of this order is for the improvement of the defendant's mental health not only for his own sake but for the future of these proceedings,' he said. 'The crown do intend to reinstitute these proceedings when and if appropriate.' Stephanie's mum Nicholle Diroyan sobbed as she read her victim impact statement at the Old Bailey on July 7. She said: 'The pain of losing her is immeasurable and every day without her feels incomplete.' Ebony, who now lives in Manchester, has launched a petition to try and ensure Stephanie's family get justice. 'There's been three years of constant delays and adjournments - and now we're told it'll be 2027 before we know if Ivan can even stand trial. 'It's the waiting. We're left in the dark.'. 'I feel so sorry for Stephanie's mum Nicholle - who's always at the court but then left frustrated each time.' Ebony added: 'We were told the jury returned a verdict in a record time. Quickest for death by dangerous driving for 27 years. 'Despite this clear outcome, family and friends are waiting for justice.' Referring to the two-year order, she said: 'It's a deterrent of the law, rather than an enforcement.' She added: 'That grievance, when everything is brought back up. I'm quite shaky on this call, it's traumatic to relive the tragic crash and death of Stephanie.' Ebony went on to say: 'Stephanie was the most lovely, genuine, outgoing person. She was there for her friends, she was there for her family. 'If anyone needed her, she'd message, she'd ring, she'd be there for you. To see her face in the newspaper in such a tragic way, and yet we're still yet to receive any justice, is so heartbreaking.' Stephanie had hired Ebony several months before, and was her manager before being promoted to the finance department shortly prior to her death. 'We became friends so quickly,' she said. 'The week before she died we were in Manchester and Nottingham, just enjoying ourselves. 'I was always going round to hers and picking her up or going for lunch break. 'Sometimes we'd get a takeaway into work and would be sitting there with 10 different Greggs items. She was amazing.' Ebony added: 'We believe she's looking down on us so proud of us all.' Do you know more? Email 9 9
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Charity fun day held in Birmingham to remember 12-year-old Leo Ross
A family fun day has been held to keep alive the memory of a 12-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on his way home from school. Leo Ross died from a wound to the stomach on a riverside path in the Shire Country Park in Hall Green, Birmingham, on 21 Legacy Foundation Family Fun Day was held at Highfield Hall on Sunday, more than six months on from the Shah, Leo's former foster carer who helped to set up the Leo's Legacy Foundation, said: "We've started this in memory of Leo and to keep Leo's memory alive." Mr Shah said setting up the charity had not only helped him after his loss but could also inform others about the impact of knife crime."It's to get other young people to think about Leo and think about the impact it has on young people, the victims themselves as well as the perpetrators and their families," he added: "We can't stop people from leaving their homes with knives, but if we can get them to think twice before they do, I think that's going to be a big achievement." Family friend Syd Femtinos was at the fun day with her pet bird called Baby, which is a type of parrot called a conure that Leo used to play said: "My bird doesn't go to kids usually, and when they first met, he just flew over to Leo. He spent the whole afternoon with him."Ms Femtinos said: "That just goes to show the nature that Leo had."The event included crafts, food and drink traders, and entertainment, including face painting, DJs and alpacas. Funds raised will go to the charity. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
Two men charged after girl, 12, is ‘kidnapped, raped and strangled in horror attack' that sparked outrage in UK town
TWO men have been charged after a girl, 12, was allegedly kidnapped, raped and strangled. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, is accused of raping of the underage girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on July 22. 2 2 A second man, Mohammad Kabir, also 23, has been charged with aiding and abetting rape, as well as strangulation and kidnap of the girl. News of the horror attack has sparked outrage in the local community. Many residents have demanded more answers from Warwickshire Police regarding the defendants. But a spokesperson for the force said: "Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. "This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status." They added: "We work to hold offenders to account and will always do everything in our power to present a robust case to the courts and protect the integrity of court proceedings." Mulakhil is charged with raping the victim in the Cheverel Street of Nuneaton. The assault allegedly unfolded between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Tuesday, July 22. CCTV footage from a nearby doorbell camera appeared to show a man walking with the girl at around 8pm. Cops detained the suspect on Saturday 26, and he was charged the following day. He appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court on Monday and was remanded in custody. Mohammad Kabir, 23, was arrested in Nuneaton on July 31, and charged with kidnap, strangulation and aiding and abetting rape of a girl under 13. He appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court yesterday and was also remanded in custody. Both defendants will next appear at Warwick Crown Court on 26 August. In their full statement, Warwickshire Police said: "There's been some questions about what we do and don't release as part of a high-profile investigation such as this. "Following the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton on Tuesday 22 July we started an immediate and fast-moving investigation." The spokesperson added: "When something significant happens, we brief these partners and local elected officials on the circumstances of the crime, the investigation, the work being undertaken to arrest those responsible and how local people and partners can help a concerned community. "Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings. "We work to hold offenders to account and will always do everything in our power to present a robust case to the courts and protect the integrity of court proceedings."
