Two bodies found on French beach as 230 rescued at sea

LILLE, France: The bodies of two men found on a beach in northern France were possibly migrants trying to reach Britain, French authorities said Sunday, as they rescued 230 people from the frigid Channel waters.

The first body was found on the sandy beach in Berck, with a second spotted less than two hours later just 300 metres (984 feet) away, the Pas-de-Calais prefecture told AFP.

The prefecture suggested the men were migrants attempting to swim to a “taxi-boat” or small dinghy already in the water.

Bodies have repeatedly washed up on beaches around Calais in recent months as makeshift migrant boats capsize or suffer from chaotic embarkations that leave some passengers in the water.

After a record year for deaths in the Channel, crossing attempts have continued in the middle of winter, despite sometimes freezing temperatures.

“A total of 230 people” were rescued at sea on Sunday, according to French maritime authorities.

Among those rescued was a group that set off for Britain in the morning but their boat deflated, leaving 57 people in the water near Gravelines, including one person found unconscious and two who had hypothermia.

That was followed by a boat carrying 38 people that issued a distress call, and another 19 people who were pulled off a skiff that kept going with dozens more passengers aboard.

Near Dunkirk, 42 passengers were rescued, including two who had to be airlifted to hospital.

In the evening, a patrol boat rescued 33 people who failed to make it across the Channel after setting off that morning.

At least 76 migrants died trying to reach Britain last year, according to French authorities, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for the crossings.