RIKKE B

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Several migrants rescued in English Channel - one dead

On Aug 12, 2021, the CROSS Gris-Nez was notified that several migrant boats were in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. At around 10:00 a.m., the CROSS Gris-Nez was contacted by the cargo m/v 'Elena', which reported a boat with around forty migrants in difficulty, some of whom were in the water, about 13 nautical miles off Dunkirk. The nearby fishing vessels 'Nicolas Jérémy' and 'Notre Dame de Boulogne', the fast rescue boat (FRB) of the 'Elena' an NH90 helicopter of the Belgian Air Force, the patrol boat PSP 'Flamant' the maritime and a port security craft (ESMP) of the maritime and port security of Dunkirk responded. The NH90 helicopter informed the CROSS that the boat was sinking and that there would potentially be several peopleoverboard. The helicopter hoisted several castaways on board and dropped them on board the 'Flamant' and on the two fishing vessels. Other castaways were also recovered by the 'Nicolas Jérémy' and 'Notre Dame de Boulogne'. The rescue boat from the 'Elena' picked up an unconscious person and transferred him onto the 'Flamant'. The CROSS initiates a conference call with the maritime medical consultation center of Toulouse and the SAMU in Le Havre. A medical evacuation was recommended. The CROSS tasked the NH90 helicopter to carry out the evacuation. The castaway was hoisted aboard the helicopter and dropped off at Calais hospital where he was taken care of by medical teams, but later died. The 'Flamant' collected all the castaways on board and heads to the port of Dunkirkwhere they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police The VCSM 'Scarpe' rescued three castaways and then headed to another boat in difficulty after the ferry 'Spirit Of Britain' had located it. The 'Scarpe' picked up six more castaways and headed for the port of Calais where it dropped them off. They were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. The 'Flamant' next picked up 33 migrants on board and dropped them off at the port of Dunkirk where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. One boat was in difficulty in the Dunkirk channel. The CROSS tasked the lifeboat 'SNS 276-Notre Dame des Flandres' of the SNSM station in Gravelines which picked up five people and brought them back to Calais where they were taken care of by the departmental service of fire and rescue and border police. CROSS Gris-Nez then received a call from a migrant boat which also was in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. A French customs helicopter and the tug 'Abeille Languedoc' were tasked to provide assistance. The tug picked up 37 migrants and brought them back to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. The CROSS Gris-Nez was then informed by the ferry 'Spirit of France' that a boat was in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. The CROSS again tasked the 'Scarpe' to recover the castaways on board. They were brought back to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer were they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. The CROSS Gris-Nez was then notified by the Belgian training ship 'Zenobe Gramme' that a migrant boat is in difficulty off Dunkirk. The 'Zenobe Gramme' picked up 26 people and dropped them off at the port of Dunkirk (59) where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. The CROSS Gris-Nez was contacted by the ferry 'Côte d´Opale' that a migrant boat was in difficulty. The CROSS tasked the 'Kermorvan' to assist which recovered five castaways and brought them back to the port of Calais where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police.