Braverman thanks skipper for saving lives in Channel

SUELLA BRAVERMAN has “personally” thanked the trawler captain who, with his crew, rescued more than 30 migrants from the Channel when their dinghy sank, claiming the lives of at least four people.

The Home Secretary has written to Raymond Strachan hailing his “deeply commendable” reaction to the incident last month, saying it deserved the “highest praise”. She added that she wanted to show her gratitude for his work, and that of his team, “in such difficult and distressing circumstances”.

Mr Strachan, skipper of the scallop vessel Arcturus, and his crew spent two hours pulling 31 migrants from the water after their flimsy dinghy punctured and began to sink in temperatures of minus 4C just before 3am on Dec 14. Four died and there were unconfirmed reports that four further migrants remained missing. The dinghy may have been carrying up to 47 migrants, including at least four children.

“It was like something out of a Second World War movie. There were people in the water everywhere, screaming,” Mr Strachan said. “I steamed towards the dinghy and we secured it with a rope.”

It was the first large rescue operation in the Channel since November, when at least 27 migrants died after their dinghy sank.