By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-08-30 09:45:38 | Updated at 2026-08-30 10:38:15
56 minutes ago
The search is continuing for two people who are still missing after their boat “got into distress” in the English Channel.
Work continued overnight as more than 15 lifeboats and a French warship were brought in to aid the search after a vessel carrying five people got into trouble off the coast of Plymouth on Saturday evening.
A Coastguard helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft and two RNLI lifeboats initiated an “extensive search” near Eddystone lighthouse around 6pm on Saturday.
An unknown number of civilian vessels have also joined in the search.
The Cornish Coastguard confirmed that three of the five people aboard the boat had been accounted for.
However, they did not reveal any details about the boat or what the nature of the emergency was.
Local reports have suggested that it was a French fishing boat.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: “HM Coastguard is co-ordinating the response to a report of a vessel in distress with five people on board, south west of Eddystone Lighthouse.
The search is continuing for two people still missing in the English Channel
GETTY
“A coastguard rescue helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft have been sent, together with RNLI lifeboats from Falmouth and Plymouth. Local vessels are also assisting.
“The incident is ongoing and there is no further information at this time.”
It comes as earlier this year it was revealed that the number of people helped by Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeguards on beaches across the UK and Channel Islands almost doubled in 2025.
The charity helped 18,000 people in 2023 and 2024, that number almost doubled last year, with more than 35,000 people needing assistance from the RNLI.
The RNLI launched an urgent rescue on Saturday evening
The rise has been explained by a combination of good weather and increased interest in seaside activities.
The RNLI began patrolling the seas in 2001, with Cornwall and Dorset the first areas to be covered, but now the charity has expanded to operate on almost 250 beaches.
Peter Dawes, RNLI lifeguard general manager, told The Guardian: “The statistics vary each year depending on the weather.
“Last year, with the bulk of summer being reasonably good, a lot of people went to the beach.
“The other variation that comes into play is a broader economic one. If we get a lot of people staying here for a holiday, then we are busier.
“It’s something we’re watching at the moment, with things going on around the world.
“We constantly assess the risks on our beaches, but part of that is how people are going to interact with the beaches. You have to be prepared."
The RNLI has saved 2,165 lives and has helped almost half a million people.
