Dover's RNLI Lifeboat 'City Of London II' was called out in the early hours of this morning (21 May 2013) following reports that a man had gone overboard from a ferry travelling from Calais.
Dover's volunteer lifeboat crew were assisted in the search by a Royal Navy warship that was in the area and a helicopter was scrambled from RAF Wattisham.
The extensive search was carried out in poor visibility, a freshening northerly wind and drizzle.
The search was called off and the lifeboat returned to her station at 0600 after almost four hours at sea.
Pete Legg, Deputy Launching Authority at Dover RNLI said after the search was called off, it was unlikely that someone could survive in the water for that amount of time at this time of the year.
