French and British coastguards failed to stop the worst migrant drowning in the Channel because they passed the responsibility to help onto each other, a report has claimed.
The rubber dinghy was carrying at least 30 people and sank on 24 November last year despite repeated calls from those on board to both the emergency services.
At least 27 people - including a newborn baby - died in the tragedy, which was the worst migrant drowning ever recorded in the Channel.
An investigation, carried out by a law firm acting for some of the relative’s and seen by Sky News, has recovered communications between the British and French coastguards, as well as phone calls, text messages and emails relating to the tragedy.
According to the report, people onboard the dinghy first called both emergency services at around 2am and then continued for almost two hours in an effort to get help.
Sky quotes the report as saying: “A few minutes after this first call, the French rescue services again asked for the vessel’s position. The position of the vessel was then in English waters.
“The French rescue team then transmitted the position to the English rescue team, informing them it was their responsibility to assist the boat.
“The English rescue team tried to call one of the numbers given to them by the Cross Gris Nez (French coastguard) but the tne of the call indicated that the vessel was in French waters. They therefore considered that the obligation to provide assistance fell to the Cross Gris Nez.”
At the time of the tragedy, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said that amongst those drowned were five women and a young girl.
Boris Johnson said he was “shocked, appalled and deeply saddened” by the incident and offered additional help to Paris to “demolish” people-smuggling gangs.
At least three rescue vessels and one helicopter were eventually sent to the scene, after a fishing boat sounded the alarm.
A French naval boat retrieved the dead and injured from the water and a joint French-British search operation took place for survivors.
A spokesperson for the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency told Sky: “On 24 November, Her Majesty’s Coastguard received over 90 alerts from the English Channel area, including 999 emergency calls. Every call was answered, assessed and acted upon, including the deployment of search and rescue resources where appropriate.
“We always have and always will respond to anyone in distress, as we did that day.”
The French coastguard has been contacted for comment.
A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency told The Independent: “It is not appropriate for us to comment on the specifics of any legal actions.
“Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic events of November last year.”
