Fisherman dies after Channel fall

A British fisherman has died after falling overboard in the English Channel in "atrocious" conditions.

The fisherman, who was from Brixham, Devon, was working on the 37ft (11.3m) beam trawler Korenbloem.

He fell overboard close to the North East Shipping Lane, about 20 miles (32km) off Hastings, East Sussex at about 1900 GMT on Friday.

He was brought back onboard by fellow crew members, who called the coastguard, but the man later died.

Dover Coastguard launched a joint operation with their French counterparts.

The French coastguard helicopter airlifted the fisherman to medical facilities on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Mounts Bay.

Pete Legg, senior coastguard watch manager, said: "Conditions in the Channel were atrocious last night and the crew did an excellent job to get their colleague back on board.

"Sadly despite the very best efforts of them, the French coastguard and the medical staff on the Mounts Bay this fisherman lost his life."