ABEILLE NORMANDIE

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151 migrants rescued by numerous means

On the night of Nov 30, numerous departures of migrant boats were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez in the Strait of Dover. On the evening, a passenger ship located a boat off the coast of Calais. The CROSS engaged the 'Abeille Normandie' to monitor the situation on the overloaded boat. Following a distress call, the CROSS also engaged the lifeboat 'SNS 077-Notre dame du Risba'" from the Calais SNSM station to assist the boat. Once on site, the lifeboat recovered two people from the sea, who were suffering from hypothermia and dropped them off at the Calais quay to be taken care of by the land-based rescue services. While the 'Abeille Normandie' maintained surveillance, some of the people on board the boat requested assistance. The tug crew recovered 73 people, including one diabetic person and three with minor burns. The CROSS then set up a telephone conference with the maritime medical coordination emergency medical service (SCMM) in Le Havre and the ship. The deployment of a medical team from the SMUR in Boulogne-sur-Mer was recommended to take care of the injured. The CROSS deployed ta Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy base in Le Touque, which hoisted the medical team aboard the 'Abeille Normandie'. At the same time, the CROSS deployed the SAR vessel 'Ridens' to take over surveillance of the boat with the remaining people. After a few hours, the nine people on board the boat requested assistance from the 'Ridens'. They were rescued and dropped off at the quay in Calais. At the same time, the medical team on board the 'Abeille Normandie' did not recommend a medical evacuation, but medical care at the quay, once the migrants were dropped off in Boulogne-sur-Mer. During the night, the CROSS engaged the hydrographic vessel 'Lapérouse' of the French Navy for the surveillance of a boat off the coast of Calais. Once on site, the 'Lapérouse' launched its semi-rigid boat and noted that the boat was overloaded and in poor condition. The CROSS then engaged the 'Abeille Normandie' to reinforce surveillance of the boat. The 'Lapérouse' initially recovered four people, two of whom had fallen into the water, and transferred them to the emergency tug. A few hours after the start of the surveillance, all people on board requested assistance. The 'Abeille Normandie' recovered 63 people on board. The 67 people rescued by the 'Lapérouse' and the tug were dropped off at the quay in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of by the land rescue services. In total, 151 people were rescued.

More than 130 migrants assisted, one dead

On Oct 30,, numerous departures of migrant boats were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez off the coasts of Pas-de-Calais and Nord On the morning, the CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the PSP 'Cormoran' in the Hemmes de Marc sector. Arriving in the area, the patrol boat picked up 17 people requiring assistance, and then monitored the boat, which nevertheless continued its navigation until it was taken over by the British authorities. A land patrol of the National Gendarmerie postponed the departure of an overloaded migrant boat between Berck and Merlimont. The CROSS then deployed the semi-rigid 'SNS 6295-President Jacques Lebrun' from the SNSM station in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a Dauphin helicopter from the French Navy base in Le Touquet and resources from the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS). The emergency services mobilized noted that a significant number of people had not managed to reach the boat, which was then in the Hardelot sector and found themselves in difficulty in the water trying to return to the beach. The resources deployed secured these people and assisted them until they returned to the beach where they were taken care of by the SDIS and the police. One of the people was declared dead. The CROSS Griz-Nez was later informed of the departure of a migrant boat in the Malo-les-Bains sector. It then engaged the 'Minck'. As the boat required assistance, the Minck secured the 81 migrants and brought them back to the quayside in Calais, where they were taken care of by the services mandated by the prefecture. One boat was reported in difficulty off Le Touquet. The CROSS Gris-Nez engaged the VCSM 'Esteron', which reescued 29 people on board the boat and dropped them off at the quayside in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they are taken care of by the services mandated by the prefecture. The boat nevertheless continues its journey, under the surveillance of the 'Abeille Normandie'. In total, omore than 130 people were rescued by the resources deployed by the CROSS Gris-Nez.

Migrant boats in trouble got assistance

Several departures of migrant boats were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez on Oct 25. During the night, the 'Abeille Normandie' was tasked to check the situation in the Audresselles sector, where a boat was monitored by the tug until it broke down and the people on board requested assistance. The 'Abeille Normandie' then launched its zodiac and picked up 68 people, who were then dropped off at the quay in Boulogne-sur-Mer n the middle of the night. The tug was then again engaged by the CROSS Gris-Nez after another boat departure was reported in the same Audresselles sector. The CROSS Gris-Nez also engaged the P-68 "Action Air Environnement" police aircraft, the VCSM 'Aber Ildut' and a Dauphin helicopter. A person was picked up by the semi-rigid boat of the 'Abeille Normandie' from the water and then transferred to the 'Aber Ildut' and dropped off at the quayside in Boulogne-sur-Mer.. The rest of the people refused the assistance offered by the French means and continued on their way. After the boat was located in the Hardelot sector, the 'Drôme' was launched which picked up a person in the water and another migrant requesting assistance on the boat. At the same time, the CROSS also deploys the French Navy's public service Dauphin helicopter based in Le Touquet to ensure that no one was still in difficulty in the water. The tug then picked up the VCSM 'Aber Ildut' off Le Portel, where another boat was reported. Given the number of migrants waiting on the beaches or in the water to board the boat, the CROSS also used the Dauphin helicopter to search for possible people at sea. Eight people who were unable to reach the boat from the shore were picked up by the boat of the 'Abeille Normandie' and then dropped off at Boulogne-sur-Mer in the afternoon. They were joined at the quayside by the two people previously picked up and transferred to the quayside too.