FS FLAMANT

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99 migrants rescued from various boats

On the night of June 12 and on June 13, numerous migrant boat departures were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez. On the evening the CROSS was informed by the police that a migrant boat off Slack Beach was showing signs of difficulty. In coordination with land-based services, the CROSS deployed several resources, including the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based in Le Touquet and resources from the SDIS 62 to locate and rescue the boat people. In coordination with the MRCC in Dover, a British aircraft was also diverted to participate in the search. However, once in the area, the resources did not report the presence of any boat in the water and therefore were stood down. Secondly, a floating but unpowered boat was spotted by land services off Pointe aux Oies. The CROSS engaged the 'Abeille Normandie', which confirmed the boat was adrift with three people on board. The emergeny tug rescued the migrants, who were taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken into care by land-based rescue services. Later that night, a second boat requested assistance off Audresselles. The CROSS engaged the French Navy's hydrographic survey vessel 'Laplace', which joined the boat. Four of its occupants requested assistance, They were picked up and taken in Calais. The remaining migrants on the migrant boat refused any assistance and continued on their way. During the same night, another boat was reported in difficulty off the coast of Gravelines. The location of the boat, overloaded with 50 people, was located by the Schiebel S100 drone of the CROSS Gris-Nez. The latter also engaged the lifeboaat 'SNS 276 - Notre Dame des Flandres' from the Gravelines SNSM station, which rescued two people on board, while the boat continued on its way. On the morning of June 13, another boat was spotted on the beach at Quend. The CROSS engaged the surveillance vessel 'Yser' from the French Maritime Gendarmerie to locate the boat. Two people, who were found in difficulty, were rescued by the 'Yser' and brought ashore, where they were treated by the local land rescue services. The same morning, another boat was spotted off the coast of Dunkirk. The CROSS engaged the RHIB 'ESMP04' of the Maritime and Port Security Platoon of the French Maritime Gendarmerie,and then the patrol boat 'Flamant'. The troubled boat quickly took on water, and the patrol boat began assisting the occupants, joined by the rescue vessel 'Ridens' and the 'Abeille Normandie'. The 'Flamant' rescued 63 people and headed for the port of Calais. The other occupants initially did not require further assistance, as the boat continued to deflate. They were finally picked up by the 'Ridens' and the 'Abeille Normandie', which took them to the ports of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer), respectively. In total, 79 occupants of the boat were rescued and taken into care by land-based rescue services. Finally, on the early evening of June 13, a migrant boat was reported off the coast of Equihen-Plage. As weather conditions deteriorated, the CROSS deployed a Frontex aircraft to locate the boat, followed by the 'Flamant' and the patro l boat 'Pluvier'. After a request for assistance from the nine occupants of the boat, they were picked up by the PSP Flamant and brought to the dock in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

65 migrants rescued off Calais, a baby died

On October 17 several rescue forces intervened off the coast of Wissant, in Pas-de-Calais to assist a boat in difficulty. Among the 65 people on board, a baby lost his life. An investigation was opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor's office. On the evening, the departure of a migrant boat off the coast of Wissant was reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez, which then engaged several vessels, among them the patrol boat 'Flamant', the 'Abeille Normandie', the 'Minck', the lifeboat 'SNS 077 Notre Dame de Risban' of the SNSM of Calais, as well as the Belgian helicopter NH90, based in Coxyde in order to relocate the boat and assess the situation on site. Once on site, it was noted that the boat, heavily loadedwas is in difficulty and that some of the people were in the water. The rescue ships then launched their semi-rigid boats and started to recover the people. The 'Abeille Normandie' rescued 65 people. At the same time, searches were being conducted to look for potential castaways at sea. During these searches, the 'Minck' located and rescues an unconscious infant who was transferred aboard the 'Abeille Normandie'. He will be declared dead by the Samu's regulating doctor, contacted by the teams on site. With the shipwreck area having been fully investigated, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea decidedto interrupt the searches led by the CROSS. The 65 castaways and the deceased infant were dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

146 migrants rescued in numerous operations

On the morning of 29, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty off Petit-fort-Philippe and required assistance. The CROSS immediately engaged the coastal maritime surveillance vessel of the Oyapock gendarmerie to secure the boat. Once the VSCM was on site, the migrants on the boat were requesting emergency assistance. The crew then launched their semi-rigid boat and rescued 28 people. The rest of the people expressed their wish to continue their journey to British waters, under the surveillance of the 'Abeille Normandie', which was engaged by the CROSS to reinforce the VSCM. The 28 rescued people were then dropped off at the quay in Dunkirk and taken care of by land rescue services. At the same time, the CROSS hired the rescue vessel 'Ridens' to monitor a boat off the coast of Malo les Bains. When it arrived on site, it rescued one person who had fallen into the water and assisted 10 other passengers. The rest of the passengers expressed their wish to continue their journey to British waters. The 'Minck' hired by the CROSS to reinforce the 'Ridens' remained in the area to provide enhanced surveillance. The 11 rescued people were then dropped off at the quay in Dunkirk. On the morning of Aug 30 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that several boats in difficulty were in an emergency situation off the dunes of Slack, Camiers and Sainte-cécile. The CROSS engaged the 'Abeille Normandie' to assist the boat, whch was located off the dunes of Slack, before recovering 23 of its occupants. Following the first recovery, the RIAS recovered five other occupants of another boat followed by the pPSP 'Cormoran' of the French Navy. The 28 rescued people were then dropped off at the quay in Boulogne sur mer and taken care of. At the same time, the CROSS engaged the SNSM semi-rigid boat from Berck-sur-mer, the "SNS 709 - Jean Baptiste Fournier", to assist two migrants, isolated on a sandbank off Camiers. They were rescued and dropped off at the Berck-sur-mer quay- In addition to these operations, there was a recovery of 62 people by the French Navy's hydrographic vessel 'Laplace ' off Le Touquet and a recovery of 15 people by the patrol boat 'Flamant' off Equihen Plage. All the people were dropped off at the quay in Boulogne sur mer. In total, over the last 48 hours, 146 migrants were rescued by the State resources deployed in this maritime zone in addition to the 77 people already recovered by the PSP 'Cormoran' on Aug 29.