She, however, became the first illegal immigrant who had made the highly dangerous bid to reach the English coast, the Mail Online reported today.
The unidentified woman Asian woman, thought to be in her thirties, was carrying a compass and energy food bars is thought to have drowned and been washed back ashore after attempting the hazardous 34-km crossing.
She also had spare clothes in a plastic pouch and was smeared with vaseline to prevent irritation during the swim through the world's busiest shipping lane.
Police in Calais said her body was found on a beach near the coastal town of Wimereux on Sunday.
Captain Matthew Webb made the first recorded unassisted swim across the Channel in 1875. About 1,000 people have made the crossing since.
