Search Launched for Passenger Missing From Ferry in English Channel

A "massive search" has been launched to find a passenger missing from a ferry in the English Channel, Dover Coastguard has said.

The person went missing from the Pride of Kent ferry about six miles off the coast of Dover just after 01.30 GMT.

HM Coastguard said it feared a woman had gone overboard. P&O believe the passenger is a man.

A Hampshire helicopter, lifeboats from Dungeness, Dover, Walmer and Calais, and a tug boat are searching the area.

A spokeswoman for HM Coastguard said: "Dover Coastguard was contacted just after 1.30am by the ferry who reported that a female passenger was missing and they believed she had gone overboard.

"A massive search was launched, including the Coastguard helicopter from Lee-on-Solent.

"So far, nothing has been found. The search continues."

*Original story: BBC News via Google News
*Image credits: Flickr Wikimedia CC2.0