FOURMENTIN

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153 migrants rescued in Strait of Pas-de-Calais

On Sep 10, 2023, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that various migrant boats were in difficulty in the Strait of Pas de Calais. At the end of the night, a migrant boat was reported in difficulty off Berk. Calls from the boat indicated that several people are in the water. The CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the patrol boat 'DFP 1' and the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' to intervene. Upon arriving on site, the navy vessel noted that the boat had an engine failure, that it was overloaded with 81 people on board and that one person had fallen into the water. The crew quickly used their RIB to rescue the person who had fallen into the water and take the others on board. After rescuing the 81 castaways, including eight women and 10 children, the ship headed to the port of Boulogne-sur-Merm where the castaways were taken care of at the quay. In the middle of the afternoon, another overloaded boat was reported off the coast of Gravelines, being in difficulty. The CROSS requested a private vessel in the area to check the condition of the migrant boat and deployed the 'Esvagt Charlie'' to assist. The boat had 72 people on board, and the transom was not in good condition, causing water to enter. The 'Esvagt Charlie' rescued all 72 people, including 17 children and 14 women. A pregnant woman, whjo was among the castaways, was taken care of on board and a telephone conversation was provided with a doctor to check her state of health. All the castaways were dropped off at the port of Calais in the evening.

54 migrants taken off precarious boat

In the afternoon of Sep 2, 2023, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty off Etaples and deployed the 'DFP 1-Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' to assist. Five people were rescued before the precarious boat set off again with the rest of the migrants on board. The castaways were then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. In the early evening, the same boat reported an engine failure. The CROSS Gris-Nez then engaged the 'Thétis' of the French Navy to assist, which picked up 49 people on board before the engine of the precarious boat was restarted with the two remaining people on board, who resumed their journey. The 49 castaways were then transferred to the 'Abeille Normandie' and returned to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in the night.

Several migrant boats in trouble

In the night of June 10 the CROSS Gris Nez was informed that a boat was in difficulty off the beach at Sainte-Cécile and deployed a Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy, the emergency tug 'Abeille Normandie' and the hydrographic vessel 'Laplace' of the French Navy, which recovered 38 castaways, including one person in a state of hypothermia. The CROSS then informed the maritime medical coordination service in Le Havre. All castaways were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police after the arrival in port. In the morning of June 11, the CROSS Gris-Nezwas informed of a boat in difficulty off Le Touquet. Five people wearing life jackets were in the water near the boat. The semi-rigid 'Triton' of the National Police recovered two of them in a state of hypothermia. They were taken care of by the SDIS 62. The three other people returned to the shore by their own means. The CROSS then deployed the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' and the 'Abeille Normandie' to a troubled boat, which picked up 27 shipwrecked peopleand dropped them off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were taken care of by the SDIS 62 and the border police.