ABEILLE NORMANDIE

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194 migrants rescued in several missions, three deceased

On Sep 9, several assistance and rescue operations were coordinated by the CROSS Gris-Nez to assist migrant boats. On the early morning, the CROSS was informed of the departure of a migrant boat from Gravelines beach and engaged the 'Oyapock' to make contact with the overloaded boat. Later that night, the gendarmerie boat was relieved by the 'Abeille Normandie'. Several people on board the boat requested assistance, and the emergenvy tug rescued 24 people and disembarked them in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The remaining occupants continued on their way. The same morning, the CROSS was alerted to the departure of a boat off Fort Mahon. Several resources were deployed in turn by the CROSS to monitor the boat, among them the 'SNS7-034 Notre Dame des Sables' from the SNSM station in Berck-sur-Mer, the 'Oyapock', the 'Ouranos' from the nautical brigade of the Calais gendarmerie, the PSP 'Flamant' and the ''Jacques Oudart Fourmentin'. The occupants refused the assistance offered by French resources. A few hours after the boat's departure, the SNSM-lifeboat rescued a person who had fallen overboard and was then taken into care by the SDIS 62. Still on the morning. the departure of a boat was reported off the coast of Dieppe. The CROSS immediately engaged the a'SNS 091 Sainte-Anne-des-Flots' from the Dieppe SNSM station. Other resources were then deployed to take turns monitoring the boat as it progressed along the coastt, among them the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin', the semi-rigid inflatable boat 'SNS 6-016 Entre deux Baies' from the Fort-Mahon SNSM station and the 'Flamant'. The boat refused the assistance offered by French resources. At the end of the day, while still monitoring the boat, the 'Flamant' deployed its EDO to get as close as possible to the boat. Shortly after, 10 people were rescued by the EDO and taken to the beach at Equihen by the fire department. The other occupants of the boat continued their voyage. Several hours later, during the night, all migrants aboard the boat requested assistance. They were thus rescued in their entirety by the 'Flamant'. In total, 125 people were rescued by the patrol boat, including 10 taken ashore and 115 disembarked at the quay in Boulogne-sur-Mer. On the evening of Sep 9, a migrant boat was reported leaving Hardelo. Several migrants attempted to return to shore with difficulty. The gendarmes then entered the water and rescued an unconscious man, whom they managed to revive. The CROSS deployed the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' to monitor the boat, and the 'Minck' and an aircraft to search for and, if necessary, rescue potential shipwrecked persons during the boarding phase. The firefighters and ground security forces present on site, along with the civil defense, took charge of a group of migrants on the beach. The boat refused any further assistance and resumed its voyage under the surveillance of the'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin'. Parallel searches conducted in the area using nautical and aerial means did not result in any new shipwrecked persons. During the night of Sep 9, the 'Abeille Normandie' was engaged by the CROSS to search for an overloaded boat. Once on site, the occupants requested assistance. 44 people were rescued by the tug's crew, including three unresponsive people. A conference call was established with the Maritime Medical Coordination Emergency Medical Service in Le Havre to establish a medical assessment prior to the deployment of a team from the Maritime Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Unit (SMUR) in Boulogne-sur-Mer using the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based in Le Touquet. Once on board, the SMUR doctor pronounced the three people dead.

Emergency tug rescued 23 migrants

On the morning of Sep 6, the CROSS Gris-Nez was notified of the departure of several migrant boats off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. The following resources were mobilized: the customs coastguard patrol boat "Nordet," the customs patrol boat "Jacques Oudart Fourmentin," the surveillance boats "Oyapock," "Armoise," and "Ouranos," the tug"Abeille Normandie," the "Minck" and "Ridens," and the French Navy's hydrographic vessel "Lapérouse". Determined to reach the United Kingdom, the migrants making the crossing aboard unsuitable boats refused the assistance systematically offered by the French rescue services. At around noon, the SNSM lifeboat "SNS 7-034-Notre Dame des Sables" rescued a person attempting the crossing whose health was deteriorating. A Dauphin helicopter from Touquet dropped off a medical team aboard the lifeboat to stabilize the victim and medeva him to the Berck hospital with the assistance of the SDIS. Later that day, the "Abeille Normandie" deployed by the CROSS to conduct a boat patrol, rescued some of the occupants who were in difficult23 of them abandoned the crossing and were rescued by the "Abeille Normandie". They were disembarked in Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken into care by land authorities.

31 migrants rescued in three missions

On Aug 24, three rescue operations took place off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. On the early morning, a migrant boat was reported to the CROSS Gris Nez off the coast of Le Portel. The 'Minck' was deployed to locate the boat and discovered that it had suffered an engine failure. The crew offered assistance to the people on board, four of whom requested to be rescued. In the middle of the day, another boat was detected by the Wissant beach station. During the boarding phase, 18 people, who were in difficulty and had not managed to reach the boat, were rescued by the 'Abeille Normandie' and were disembarked at the port of Calais. On the late afternoon, the CROSS was informed by the SAMU 62 that another migrant boat was in difficulty in the Calais area. The PSP 'Pluvier' was deployed and offered assistance,. Nine people were rescued and taken on board on board. The patrol boat continued its surveillance and then disembarked the rescued people at the port of Calais. Thus a total of 31 people were rescued in the Strait of Dover.