Dramatic footage shows RNLI lifeboat crew pulling family from stricken dinghy in the Channel
Dramatic footage shows a lifeboat crew rescuing five people from the English Channel.
The video shows the crew hauling the migrants, including a 14-year-old girl, aboard their boat and desperately trying to keep them conscious.
Among the five people pulled to safety are believed to be a family of four from Afghanistan.
On helmet-cam footage one member of the crew can be heard yelling to his shipmates, “guys this is serious, one person not breathing”.
It then shows the crew pulling an exhausted person wearing a red lifejacket aboard their boat and carrying them across the deck.
Others rescued from the stricken dinghy can be seen lying on the ship as the crew work frantically to keep them awake.
Members of the crew can be heard shouting “hello” and urging the people to keep their eyes open.
After wrapping them in blankets they reassure the sobbing migrants that they are safe, aboard a lifeboat, and about to be taken back to shore.
One crew member encourages them to keep shivering so he can hear that they’re still awake.
He can then be heard saying: “Just stay awake for me buddy, OK”.
All those pulled from the sea struggle to retain consciousness.
Later it seems one has had to be given oxygen.
Fortunately, all those rescued by the crew on this occasion survived.
A Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteer, who has responded similar callouts in the past, revealed he and his fellow crew members live in fear of finding “tens of bodies” floating in the sea and had even recently received training in how to deliver a baby at sea.
He said: “Dinghies are always packed the same way – women and children huddled on the thin plywood floor, men on the outside, seated on the inflated hull.
“It used to be that dinghies only had 20 people in them. Now, we often pick up vessels with two or three times that amount. The dinghy bottom is usually swilling with a mixture of seawater, petrol and vomit.
“Floating on top of this highly inflammable, rank cocktail – among the plastic bags and spoiled belongings – you might also see a foot pump and a pile of floppy bicycle inner tubes in case the boat sinks.”
He added that their biggest concern when trying to pull a boat alongside is that the cheap, overloaded vessel will split and send its terrified passengers into the water.
The RNLI’s Head of Lifeboats, Simon Ling, said: “We are accustomed to seeing spikes in activity around our coast throughout the summer months, partly as a result of new trends in water use but seeing year-round increases in launches and the potential impact these types of rescues have on our crew’s emotional wellbeing is not something the RNLI has been faced with before.
“We recognise there is more work to be done in support of our crews and this work and everyone at the RNLI remains focused on our core purpose of saving lives at sea.”
The UK will “set out a path” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.
Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.
There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.
Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and NATO boss Mark Rutte in October. Pic: PA
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A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.
They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.
“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.
“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”
The defence review will also be published in the spring.
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While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.
They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.
With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after one man died and another was critically injured in a shooting in Birmingham.
Police were called to Rotton Park Road in Edgbaston, just before 11pm on Friday, to reports that two people had been shot.
One man, in his 20s, was found in a car but was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another man, in his 30s, was found injured at a bus stop, and was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition, West Midlands Police added.
Firearms officers arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of murder just before 12.30am. He remains in custody.
Officers remain on the scene, with road closures in place. The force said reassurance patrols will also be taking place.
Detective Inspector Nick Barnes said: “This is a tragic incident, and we have worked through the night to understand exactly what happened.
“We’ve already made good progress and arrested a suspect, but I still need to hear from anyone who was in the area that we’ve not already spoken to.
“This happened near the busy junction with City Road and it may be that you’ve got dashcam footage or mobile phone footage from the area just before 11pm.
“We really need to hear from you so that we can build as clear a picture as possible of what happened.”
Officers are urging anyone with information to get in contact, with anonymous tips also taken via Crimestoppers.
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