Two men rescued off Essex coast but search for third person called off

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Two men were rescued in water off the Essex coast Credit: ITV Anglia

Two men travelling in a small boat off the Essex coast have been rescued, while a search for a third person has ended.

The rescued pair are both Somali nationals and it is understood they are now being processed within immigration rules.

Border Force and the coastguard helped with the rescue on Monday afternoon 26 miles off the coast of Harwich.

But an “extensive search” for a third man, involving the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Border Force and the RNLI, has been called off.

The Home Office says the incident is a reminder of the extreme dangers of crossing the Channel in small boats and the callous disregard for life shown by the criminal gangs.

A search for a third person was called off on Tuesday afternoon Credit: Yui Mok/PA

RNLI lifeboats from Harwich and Walton and Frinton were involved in a search and rescue operation for a suspected person in the water, however they have now been stood down.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “Tragically, this is not the first time somebody has gone missing attempting the dangerous journey across the seas to Britain in search of safety.

“The sad reality is that unless this Government fundamentally changes its approach by committing to an ambitious expansion of safe routes for those in need of protection, the lives of ordinary men, women and children will be at risk of being lost in this way.