Cranston Inquiry report published

On Thursday 5 February 2026, the Cranston Inquiry published its long-awaited report into the events of 23-24 November 2021, when over 30 people died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat from France.

The report found that if a search for survivors had been adequately undertaken during 24 November 2021, including during daylight hours, more lives would have been saved. It identified systemic failures in the search and rescue response, including chronic understaffing within HM Coastguard's Dover rescue centre which led to staff feeling overwhelmed, asset shortages, and a widely held belief within HM Coastguard that small boat callers exaggerated their level of distress. This, in addition to a catalogue of record-keeping errors, ultimately led to the mistaken belief on the night that the stricken small boat had been rescued.

As the report finds at 15.46: “The consequence of the incorrect belief that incident ‘Charlie’ had been resolved was that nothing was done by HM Coastguard to search for or rescue the people who were still alive and in the water, between 06:46 … and 12:57 on 24 November 2021, when HM Coastguard was first notified by the French Coastguard that bodies had been discovered by a French fishing vessel. Otherwise, the search would have continued until the expiry of the upper limit for survivability as calculated under HM Coastguard procedures, and therefore at least throughout 24 November 2021. This period self-evidently incorporated all daylight hours on 24 November 2021. Neither visibility nor night-time conditions would have impeded the search effort.”

The Inquiry's report explains the identity of at least 33 people on board. There were only two survivors of the incident, one of whom gave evidence to the Inquiry.

Rowena Moffatt was instructed as a junior counsel to the Inquiry, led by Rory Phillips KC. Sarah Dobbie represented the bereaved families and one survivor of the tragedy, led by Sonali Naik KC, instructed by Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

Press coverage can be found on the BBC, The Guardian, ITV and Sky news.