PARIS — An Indian man in his 40s died early Sunday in northern France after the inflatable 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 migrant crossing attempts in small boats since numbers began to rise in 2018, according to the maritime prefecture that oversees French waters in the channel. The man’s death on Sunday brought the number so far this year to 56.

Around 5:30 a.m. local time, a group of migrants launched their small boat off the town of Tardinghen, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Calais.

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

The Indian man had a cardiac arrest. Police gave him CPR on the beach, the statement said, but were unable to revive him. An investigation has been opened.

This was just one of many attempts by migrants to cross the channel as the weather improved on Monday. Local authorities have since recorded 57 attempts, of which 32 have been stopped by law enforcement.

The French coast around Calais has long been a point of departure for people fleeing conflict and poverty around the world and seeking to reach the UK, often through dangerous and sometimes deadly sea journeys on one of the world’s busiest shipping channels from the world.

Europe’s increasingly strict asylum rules, growing xenophobia and hostile treatment of migrants are pushing many migrants north. While the UK government has also been hostile, many migrants have family or friends in the UK and have a perception that they will have more opportunities there.