FS PLUVIER

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

69 migrants rescued from troubled boat

On March 2, 2025, a migrant boat departed in the Walde Lighthouse sector. The CROSS Gris-Nez CROSS deployed the 'Minck' and the PSP 'Pluvier' to assist. In the evening, responding to the request for assistance made by some of the occupants of the boat, the 'Minck' recovered 11 people, while the 'Pluvier' remained in the area to monitor the boat. Later, the 58 people who were still aboard the boat also requested to be rescued and were recovered by the 'Pluvier'. In total, 69 people were rescued and disembarked at the quay in Calais during the night hours. They taken care of by the shore-based rescue services.

24 migrants rescued in four responses

On the night of March 1, 2025, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed of the departure of a migrant boat near Wimereux in the Pointe aux Oies sector. The CROSS then engaged the 'Géranium' from the Maritime Gendarmerie, which started monitoring the boat as it headed out to sea. Three migrants who requested assistance were picked up by the 'Géranium', while the rest of the people on board the boat continued on their way. Given the risks of falling overboard or of injuries to people in the event of a forced intervention by French rescue resources, the decision was made to let them continue their journey, while ensuring that their crossing was monitored. The rescued people were brought back to Boulogne-sur-Mer on the early morning. Immediately after the first intervention of the 'Géranium', she was re-engaged by the CROSS Gris-Nez to assist another boat off the coast of Pointe de la Rochette, in the Wimereux sector. The 'Géranium' contacted the boat that was stopped with occupants who requested assistance. The CROSS then engaged the 'Abeille Normandie' in support. The operational drome boats (EDO) began to recover some of the migrants who were brought onto the 'Abeille Normandie'. Some of the migrants who remained on the boat resumed their route under the surveillance of the 'Géranium'. The emergency tug dropped off the 12 recovered migrants on the afternoon at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. In the middle of the night, the CROSS Gris-Nez also engaged the 'Pluvier' to monitor a boat off the coast of Calais. After several hours of navigation, seven migrants requesting assistance were picked up by the 'Pluvier', while the rest of the migrants resumed their journey. The 'Pluvier' then disembarked the seven peopl in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Finally, a rescue operation was coordinated by the CROSS Gris-Nez after the attempt to cross the Channel by a makeshift boat, which had left in the morning off the Bay of Somme. The National Genarmerie raised alert at 6:30 a.m. to assist the 54 people on board. Several SNSM units, firefighter teams from SDIS 62 and SDIS 80, as well as the 'Garonne' of the French Navy were deployed to secure the boat and recover the migrants, three of whom were injured, including one person in critical condition. They were taken care of by the rescue services on Hardelot beach, after being rescued on board the EDO of the 'Garonne'. Two other victims suffering from hypothermia were also rescued by the land rescue teams . As the boat was stranded on the beach near the North seawall of Hardelot without being able to return to sea, the rescue operation ended early in the evening. In total, 24 people were rescued at sea under the coordination of CROSS Gris-Nez in four different operations.

Assistance to several migrant boats

On July 9, 2024, several migrant boats in difficulty were reported to the CROSS Gris Nez. In the middle of the night, a ferry indicated that a migrant boat is en route in the channel of the port of Calais (62) with many people on board. The CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the “Pluvier” to check the situation in the area. Once there, the patrol boat noticed that the boat was stationary and the passengers requested assistance. The crew then picked up the 63 people on board and dropped them off at the dock at the port of Calais. At the same time, a boat departure was reported in the Le Touquet sector by the internal security forces. The CROSS Gris-nez deployed the rescue vessel “Minck” to locate the boat. Once in the area, the crew noticed that three people were in the water, but that the migrant boat continued on its way. The crew rescued the shipwrecked people, and the CROSS simultaneously mobilized the 'Abeille Normandie' for support. Once the three castaways were safe on board the 'Minck', the rescue ship resumed its surveillance mission and indicated that the 41 other people still on board the boat also requested assistance. The 44 people were taken care of at the end of the night on board Minck before being dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-mer. Early on the morning, a third migrant boat was reported off the Wadde lighthouse, Calais Est sector. The CROSS engaged the 'Pluvier', which has just dropped off the previous castaways to check the situation in the area. Once there, the crew noticed that the boat was very loaded and moving slowly. At first, the migrants refused assistance. Then, mid-morning, some of the people on board agreed to be rescued by the 'Pluvier', which rescued 19 people before dropping them off in Calais at the start of the afternoon. Given the risk of falling overboard or injury to people in the event of forced intervention, the choice is made to let the other people present on this boat continue their journey.