PARIS — An Indian man about 40 years old died on Sunday morning in northern France after the inflated boat he and other migrants had boarded to cross the English Channel deflated, French authorities said in a statement.

This year is proving to be the deadliest for migrants’ crossing attempts aboard small boats since numbers began surging in 2018, according to the maritime prefecture that oversees French waters in the channel. The man’s death Sunday pushed this year’s tally so far to 56.

Around 5:30 a.m. local time, a group of migrants launched their small boat off the town of Tardinghen, some 15 miles west of Calais.

The boat, which “appeared to be in very poor condition,” deflated immediately after departure, the statement said. “Migrants ... returned to the beach swimming but not everyone was equipped with a life jacket.”

The Indian man had a cardiac arrest. Police gave him a cardiac massage on the beach, the statement said, but could not resuscitate him. A inquiry has been opened.

— The Associated Press