| Date | 5 February 2004 |
|---|---|
| Location | Morecambe Bay, England |
| Coordinates | 54°6′25″N 2°49′30″W / 54.10694°N 2.82500°W |
| Outcome | 21 bodies and a skull[1] recovered, 15 survivors |
| Deaths | 23 |
| Convicted | Lin Liang Ren |
On the evening of 5 February 2004, at least 21 Chinese undocumented migrants were drowned by an incoming tide at Morecambe Bay in North West England, while harvesting cockles off the Lancashire coast. Fifteen other labourers from the same group managed to return safely to shore.[2]
During the investigation and trial, it emerged that the labourers were inexperienced, spoke little or no English and were unfamiliar with the area. The Chinese gangmaster who organised the trip and two associates of his were found guilty of manslaughter, of breaking immigration laws and other crimes, and were sentenced to several years in prison.