PARIS (Reuters) - One person died after a group attempting to cross the Channel by inflatable boat got into trouble off the northern coast of France, the local coastguard said on Wednesday.
France's Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue (CROSS) dispatched a rescue vessel and a French Navy helicopter after reports of people struggling in the water between Hardelot and Équihen-Plage.
Rescuers airlifted around 15 people to safety, but one individual was declared dead despite emergency efforts. Other rescue operations are ongoing, the coastguard said.
Migrants make frequent attempts to cross the Channel from France to Britain in small, overloaded boats despite strong currents in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
(Reporting by Marine Strauss; Editing by Gareth Jones)
