At least five people died in icy waters off a beach in northern France early Sunday as they tried to traverse the English Channel to Britain, the latest in a string of tragedies in recent years that have underlined the inability of governments on both sides of the waterway to deter attempts of the perilous crossing.
More than 30 people were rescued, two of them in serious condition, the statement said. One person was found unconscious and was hospitalized, and another had severe hypothermia, the statement said. It added that the French coast guard had deployed several ships in the area to continue investigations at sea and search for any people who are still adrift.
The French maritime authorities said that crossing conditions had improved after several days of bad weather, but that the water temperature in the English Channel was about 9 degrees Celsius, or about 48 degrees Fahrenheit. They also noted that the Channel is one of the world's busiest maritime routes, with over 400 commercial ships per day. It's a particularly dangerous sector, especially in the middle of winter, for precarious, overloaded boats, the maritime authorities said.
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