ARCO DIJK

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

39 migrants rescued from the sea

On Oct 23, 2021, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a boat was in difficulty in the Strait of the Pas de Calais and that several of the migrants were overboard. The CROSS then broadcasted a MAYDAY RELAY and deployed a Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy base in Le Touquet, the patrol vessel 'Cormorant', the lifeboat 'President Jacques Huret' of the SNSM station in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the fishing vessel 'Parti De Rien' and two merchant vessels, the 'Arco Dijk' and the 'Thun Garland' which were nearby. The British Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 163 was put on alert. Having arrived in the area, the Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy noted that the boat had sunk and that 39 castaways were floating in the water. Six castaways were hoisted aboard the Dauphin helicopter and taken to the Boulogne hospital. The 'Arco Dijk' and 'Thun Garland' launched their rescue boats and took on board several castaways. The fishing vessel also retrieves several castaways from the sea. Those recovered by the 'Arco Dijk' and 'Thun Garland' were then transferred to the 'Parti De Rien'. Two crew members of the 'President Jacques Huret' were transferred aboard the 'Parti De Rien' to carry out a medical assessment of the 33 castaways on board. Then the vessel was escorted by the lifeboat to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where the castaways were taken care of by the border police and the departmental fire and rescue operational center. The Dauphin helicopter, again in the area, the 'Cormoran' as well as the Rescue 163 helicopter from the British Coast Guard ensured that no one was still in difficulty. Report with photo: https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/operations-de-recherche-et-de-sauvetage-d-une-embarcation-dans-le-detroit-du-pas-de-calais