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| Coastguard rescues 19 from inflatable boat | Coastguard rescues 19 from inflatable boat |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nineteen people have been rescued from an inflatable boat off the coast of Dymchurch in Kent after it began taking on water. | Nineteen people have been rescued from an inflatable boat off the coast of Dymchurch in Kent after it began taking on water. |
| A coastguard helicopter from Lydd and two lifeboats were among those which took part in the rescue operation just before midnight on Saturday. | A coastguard helicopter from Lydd and two lifeboats were among those which took part in the rescue operation just before midnight on Saturday. |
| Those on board the rigid-hulled inflatable boat were taken to Dover. | Those on board the rigid-hulled inflatable boat were taken to Dover. |
| An immigration spokesman for the Home Office said they were currently being interviewed by Border Force officers. | An immigration spokesman for the Home Office said they were currently being interviewed by Border Force officers. |
| Coastguard rescue teams from Dungeness and Folkestone were also involved in the rescue operation. | Coastguard rescue teams from Dungeness and Folkestone were also involved in the rescue operation. |
| A Coastguard statement said: "The UK Coastguard has co-ordinated an incident off Dymchurch to rescue the occupants of a rhib overnight. | A Coastguard statement said: "The UK Coastguard has co-ordinated an incident off Dymchurch to rescue the occupants of a rhib overnight. |
| "A call was received at 11.40pm yesterday requesting assistance to the rhib, which was taking on water. | "A call was received at 11.40pm yesterday requesting assistance to the rhib, which was taking on water. |
| "The rhib, with 19 people on board, was located at 2am and the incident handed over to UK Border Force." | "The rhib, with 19 people on board, was located at 2am and the incident handed over to UK Border Force." |
| The incident comes after 17 men thought to be Albanian migrants were detained after a catamaran arrived at Chichester Marina in West Sussex on Tuesday, along with a 55-year-old British man wanted on suspicion of murder in Spain. | |
| The Briton, who was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, was also detained on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration, while the 17 men were held on suspicion of entering the UK illegally. | |
| Also last month, two Iranian men were found floating in a dinghy in the English Channel. | |
| Are you in the area? Did you witness what happened? If you would like to share your experiences, email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you in the area? Did you witness what happened? If you would like to share your experiences, email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| If you are happy to speak to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number. | If you are happy to speak to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number. |
| You can also contact us in the following ways: | You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or comment below | Or comment below |