A professional swimmer has disappeared halfway through attempting to cross the English Channel, prompting an international helicopter search.

The athlete, whose name has not been released, left the Dover yesterday, and was later reported “missing in action” while approaching France.

Following the announcement yesterday, a mayday relay message was broadcast and a coordinated response from emergency teams began.

The Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CSPF) said: "The CSPF deeply regret to announce that a solo swimmer who was attempting a crossing of the English Channel on June 20, 2023, is being reported as missing in action.

“Following a sea search, the swimmer was unable to be found.”

The rescue operation included the deployment of the Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy, based in Le Touquet, and the Belgian NH90 helicopter, based in Coxyde, Belgium.

The Flamant public service patrol boat of the French Navy as well as the maritime surveillance coastal launch (VCSM) Aber Ildut of the Maritime Gendarmerie were also called in to help.

The VCSM Aber Ildut of the Maritime Gendarmerie and the all-weather dinghy Notre-Dame-du-Risban from the SNSM lifeboat station in Calais, also contributed to rescue efforts.

But working with limited information about the swimmer’s possible whereabouts, and after several hours of searching, the search has now been “interrupted”.

The French coastguard, the Prefet Maritime De La Manche Et De La Mer Du Nord, said: "On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, the Gris-Nez Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre (CROSS) was informed of the disappearance, off Cap Gris-Nez, of a professional swimmer crossing the English Channel.

"Without additional information and with the probable sector of disappearance having been fully investigated for several hours, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea, on the proposal of CROSS Gris-Nez, decided to interrupt the search by directed means.”

Cap Gris-Nez is a cape in Calais. It is one of the closest points in France to England.