A major air and sea search for two passengers reported missing on a ferry from Dover as it docked at Calais has been called off.
Two ferry passengers who sparked a major air and sea search when they went missing from a cross-Channel P&O vessel have turned up in Belgium.
The Anglo-French operation began just before 0300 GMT when the man and woman failed to return to their coach on board the P&O Pride of Kent ferry.
The man and woman failed to return to their coach on board the Pride of Kent ferry when it docked in Calais on Monday morning.
The search had been centred on a 25-mile stretch of the Channel.
Dover Coastguard, the RNLI and the French Navy joined a search centred on a 25-mile stretch of the Channel.
The coach joined the ferry, which was twice searched, at Dover and was heading for Brussels and Amsterdam.
The passengers were discovered alive and well at their home in Belgium.
The air and sea search involved the Dover Coastguard, the RNLI and the French Navy.
It is thought they disembarked from the ferry when it arrived in Calais at 0130 GMT without informing the coach company, Eurobusexpress.
Ongoing investigations
The coach had joined the Pride of Kent at Dover and was heading for Brussels and Amsterdam.
Andy Roberts, of Dover Coastguard, said the couple had been seen on board the ferry just after it set sail from Dover.
One-way tickets
"Basically because of survival times, if they have gone overboard, there is no chance now that they would still be alive if they're in the water.
Andy Roberts, of Dover Coastguard, said the couple had been seen on board just after it set sail.
"But investigations are continuing with Kent police, Belgian police and French police as to whether they actually left the vessel or not.
A search was launched because of fears they might have gone overboard.
"The one thing we are certain of, they could not and did not leave the vessel as a foot passenger."
The managing director of Eurobusexpress said they had bought one-way tickets to Brussels shortly before boarding the coach in London at 2100 GMT on Sunday.
The managing director of Eurobusexpress said the missing couple were not believed to be British.
Gerard Hagen said there were eight passengers on board, but only six by the time the coach driver was ready to leave Calais.
We've been doing this for 15 years and it's the first time anything has happened like this Gerard Hagen, Eurobusexpress
Gerard Hagen described the woman as blonde, and the man as Mediterranean-looking.
The pair had bought one-way tickets from London to Brussels shortly before boarding the coach at Victoria Coach Station at 2100 GMT on Sunday.
Mr Hagen said there were eight passengers on board, but only six by the time the coach driver was ready to leave Calais.
"They (the missing couple) only had hand luggage, which is not unusual. No luggage was left on the coach," he said.
"They (the missing couple) only had hand luggage, which is not unusual. No luggage was left on the coach," he said.
Mr Hagen added that no suicide note had been found on the coach.
He said there were a number of other possibilities as to their whereabouts, including the pair boarding the wrong coach or hitching a lift with a lorry driver.
"These people are missing and we don't know where they are.
"They could be in the Channel or anywhere on the continent.
"We've been doing this for 15 years and it's the first time anything has happened like this."
"We've been doing this for 15 years and it's the first time anything has happened like this."
