King Charles has asked RNLI volunteers if they “get a lot” of small boat crossings and rescues, during a royal visit on Thursday.
The King visited an RNLI station in Walmer Beach, Kent, and while there he took part in a litter pick and greeted members of the public.
Among the volunteers he spoke to were three crew members being honoured for a rescue operation from around two-and-a-half years ago.
On 14 December 2022, four people died and 43 were rescued when a small boat began taking on water during an attempted crossing by migrants of the Channel.
Volunteer Daniel Sinclair told the King the boat was “not very seaworthy”. He described the rescue as “traumatic”.
In response, the King asked: “Do you get a lot of those call outs?”
Mr Sinclair said: “Not so much here,” before adding that the stations in Ramsgate and Dover were used more for channel crossings.
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This marks the second time the monarch has spoken about small boat crossings this week.
On Tuesday evening, at a state banquet to mark the start of Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to the UK, the King told guests that increased cooperation between the UK and France would protect against “profound challenges” like terrorism, organised crime and “irregular migration” across the English Channel.
At the end of the visit, Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Macron announced a new migrant return pilot that would see some people sent back to France.
14 December 2022
Mr Sinclair recalled the events of the rescue from 2022.
Ibrahima Bah was jailed for almost a decade in February last year, as he piloted the boat that sank after setting off from France.
During the trial, jurors were told the homemade boat should have had no more than 20 people on board, but carried at least 43 that night.
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Mr Sinclair described the rescue as “very chaotic and stressful”.
“We saved five people’s lives, stopped them from drowning and it was bitterly cold, but the adrenaline kept us going,” he said.
‘Those shingles are very hard work’
During the visit on Thursday, after speaking to RNLI volunteers, the King went on to pick up rubbish, waving his litter picker to a crowd of residents.
As he shook one’s hand, he said: “Those shingles are very hard work.”
