Charity swimmer Ian Hughes missing in English Channel

A firefighter has gone missing portion connected a foundation aquatics crossed the English Channel, it has been confirmed.

Iain Hughes, from Dudley, started the solo situation with a enactment vessel connected Tuesday from Dover earlier disappearing.

Mr Hughes, 42, remains missing contempt a hunt involving subject helicopters and navy and constabulary boats.

Based astatine Wednesbury occurrence station, helium posted connected societal media 2 weeks agone that the aquatics had been delayed due to the fact that of atrocious weather.

In a statement, West Midlands Fire Service said: "We are heartbroken to corroborate that 1 of our unit managers, Iain Hughes, is missing aft his inspiring effort to aquatics the English Channel for charity."

Mr Hughes, a joined father-of-two who has been with the occurrence work since the property of 19, presently works successful its Technical Rescue Unit.

"In spite of hunt efforts involving French and Belgian subject helicopters, positive navy and constabulary patrol boats, Iain's whereabouts stay unknown," the occurrence work connection continued.

Chief occurrence serviceman Wayne Brown, said Mr Hughes was "unspeakably sad".

"We are giving Iain's household each the enactment we tin astatine this distressing time," helium said.

The Channel crossing is 21 miles (34km) and tin instrumentality swimmers anyplace betwixt 7 and 27 hours to complete.

Mr Hughes has been aiming to rise £21,000 for the British Heart Foundation, Midlands Air Ambulance and Fire Fighters' Charity.

The Gris-Nez operational surveillance and rescue centre (CROSS) was informed a swimmer had disappeared connected Tuesday, disconnected the Cap Gris-Nez.

It deployed helicopters from the French and Belgian navies, arsenic good arsenic a French Navy patrol boat, to articulation the search.

The RNLI confirmed it had not been called connected to assist.

On Wednesday, the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF), which monitors swimmers successful the channel, announced with "deep regret" Mr Hughes could not beryllium recovered aft a oversea search.

The Channel Swimming Association said the swimmer was not progressive with the organisation and it was truthful incapable to comment, but said its "thoughts and prayers" were with the swimmer and his family.

The BBC has contacted HM Coastguard and Kent Police for comment.