ABEILLE NORMANDIE

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190 migrants rescued from four boats

In the night of Dec 1 and on Dec 2, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that several migrant boats were in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. The 'Abeille Normandie' was engaged in two operations. First it assisted a migrant boat with 65 people on board. From a second boat. the crew rescued 28 people. The rest of the people on the boat refused the assistance offered by the emergency tug. Given the risks incurred by migrants in the event of restrictive actions to force them to board the State rescue resources such as falling overboard, thermal shock, various trauma, it was decided to let them continue their voyage. All the rescued people were dropped off at the quay of Boulogne sur Mer. The hydrographic vessel 'Borda' of the French Navy was engaged in the morning of Dec 2 off Steps to assist a migrant boat. It recovered eight people, while the rest of the people on the boat refused the assistance offered by French meansm and it was decided to let them continue their voyage. The rescued migrants were dropped off in Boulogne sur Mer. The 'Esvagt Charlie' assisted a migrant boat in the morning hours, which was in difficulty off the coast of Dunkirk. it picked up 58 people, who were dropped off at the port of Calais. The 'Apollo Moon' assisted another migrant boat and rescued 31 people. The castaways were dropped at Boulogne sur Mer, where they were taken care of by the shore based rescue services and the border police. In total, 190 people were rescued by French means during the operations.

35 migrants rescued off Boulogne-sur-Mer

In the early morning of Nov 26, 2023, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer and deployed the VCSM 'Aber Ildut' of the maritime gendarmerie to rescue the shipwrecked people. The migrants refused the assistance offered. In conjunction with the CROSS, the 'Aber Ildut' maintained a surveillance of the boat. Several hours later, at the beginning of the afternoon, the CROSS engaged the 'Abeille Normandie' to maintain surveillance of the boat. After it arrived on scene, several people on board the boat then accepted the assistance offered. The 'Abeille Normandie' took 35 people on board. But the boat's engine could finallybe restarted by the migrants still on board. The latter then refused to be rescued by the 'Abeille Normandie'. Given the risks incurred by migrants in the event of restrictive actions to force them to board state rescue resources such as falling overboard, thermal shock, various trauma, it was decided to let them continue their journey. In connection with the CROSS Gris Nez, surveillance was maintained by the 'Abeille Normandie'. At the end of the day, the tug headed towards the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer with the 35 people on board. When they arrived at the dock, they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police.

90 boat people rescued in difficult conditions

On Nov 22, 2023, the CROSS Gris-Nez carried out three SAR operations linked to migrant boats in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. One operation, carried out at the start of the afternoon in front of Equihen beach, mobilized numerous resources. In the morning, a boat of migrants with engine failure requested assistanced off the coast of Merlimont. The CROSS deployed the 'Borda-A 792' to assist. Once on scene, the 'Borda' launched its semi-rigid boat, and 15 people were rescued during several trips. But the boat's engine was finally able to be restarted by the migrants who were still on board. The latter then refused to be rescued by the 'Borda'. Given the risks incurred by the migrants in the event of restrictive actions to force them to board the RIB, it was decided to let them continue their journey. As the weather conditions deteriorated towards the end of the day, the 'Borda' remained close to the precarious boat to ensure surveillance during its navigation, in conjunction with the CROSS Gris Nez. Several hours later, at the end of the afternoon, the same boat broke down again, in the middle of the Strait. British assets were also present nearby. The 'Borda', which was closest, then rescued seven people. and around 40 more were rescued by British means. The 'Borda' returned to Boulogne sur mer in the evening, where the 22 people were dropped off at the dock and taken care of by the emergency services. In the late afternoon, as the weather conditions began to deteriorate, with nearly a meter of swell and 25 knots of win, another migrant boat was reported in difficulty off the coast of Hardelot beach. The CROSS Gris Nez deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to rescue them. Once there, the tug launched its semi-rigid boat and recovered 68 people on board after several return trips. Several pf tje victims were hypothermic, three suffered discomfort on board the the tug. The 'Abeille Normandie' headed to the port of Boulogne sur Mer to drop off the 68 shipwrecked people. The three people who fell ill were taken care of on board by the firefighters before being disembarked.