Pictured: West Midlands Firefighter missing in English Channel named as charity fundraiser Iain Hughes, 42, as fears grow for hero swimmer after French authorities call off search
- Iain Hughes, 42, from Dudley, set off from the Kent coast on Tuesday morning
A West Midlands firefighter who has gone missing in the English Channel while attempting a solo swim to raise money has been named.
Iain Hughes, from Dudley, set off from the Kent coast yesterday morning, accompanied by a support boat, but later went missing in French waters.
The 42-year-old father-of-two was aiming to raise £21,000 for the British Heart Foundation, Firefighters Charity, and Midlands Air Ambulance – representing £1,000 for each mile of his swim.
A major search operation including French and Belgian military helicopters was launched to find the married father-of-two, but has now been called off, French authorities confirmed.
A crew manager at Wednesbury fire station, Mr Hughes had trained for nearly two years for his cross-Channel charity swim, his employer the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said.
Iain Hughes, from Dudley, set off from the Kent coast yesterday morning
Mr Hughes had trained for nearly two years for his cross-Channel charity swim, his employer the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said
West Midlands Fire Service confirmed that Mr Hughes, who is part of the Technical Rescue Unit at Wednesbury fire station, was reported missing yesterday evening.
According to his JustGiving page, he had raised more than £6,800 of a £21,000 target.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, WMFS chief fire officer Wayne Brown said: ‘Iain’s disappearance is unspeakably sad.
West Midlands Fire Service confirmed that Mr Hughes, who is part of the Technical Rescue Unit at Wednesbury fire station, was reported missing yesterday evening
Mr Hughes set off from the Kent coast yesterday morning, accompanied by a support boat, but later went missing in French waters (file image)
‘We are giving Iain’s family all the support we can at this distressing time.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone close to Iain.
‘He is a highly respected and much-loved colleague and friend to many.’
The Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF), which monitors swimmers in the channel, announced with ‘deep regret’ that Mr Hughes could not be found after a search.
