MARONI

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Latest news

83 migrants rescued by three ships

On the morning of , May 21, 2025, several migrant boats were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez. The first one was reported to the CROSS in the Ambleteuse beach sector, and the 'Maroni' was deployed to locate and monitor the boat. After several minutes of monitoring, all those on board requested assistance following the uncontrolled drift of their boat. The CROSS then deployed the 'SNS 076-Président Jacques Huret' from the Boulogne-sur-Mer SNSM station. Once on site, the lifeboat recovered 40 people, and the patrol boat 25 peopl. All 65 castaways were dropped off at the quay in Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken into care by the shore based authorities. Earlier in the day, the 'Rhône' already had provided assistance to 18 distressed boat people who were rescued and dropped off in Calais. A total of 83 people have thus been rescued and taken into care by government resources.

More than 200 migrants rescued within 24 hours

On the night of Sep 13, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat located in the Portel sector required assistance. The CROSS deployed the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' as well as the gendarmerie patrol boat 'Maroni and a Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy. The boat was in poor condition and that the migrants were asking to be picked up. The lifeboat 'Président Jacques Lebrun-SNS 6295' from Boulogne-sur-mer also arrived in the area, followed by the fishing vessel 'Corentin Lucas'. 55 people were rescued. In addition to this operation, a further 61 people were rescued by the 'Maroni' off the coast of La Becque d’Hardelot, 48 people by the 'Ridens' near the old Walde lighthouse, while 25 other migrants remained on board the boat and continued their journey. They were finally recovered by the 'BF Voluntteer' in the English zone. The 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin ' rescued 36 people at the end of the day. In total, 200 shipwrecked people were rescued and brought back to land, by the State resources deployed in this maritime zone. 18 attempts at boat departures were monitored by the CROSS Gris Nez, over the course of the day.

Several boats in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais

In the night of Sep 28, 2022, the CROSS Gris-Nez identified several boats in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. After boat with 43 people on board had set sail off Merlimont beach, three people fell into the sea. The 'SNS 709-Jean Baptiste Fournier' of the SNSM station Berck recovered them. They were dropped off at Berck in the morning of Sep 29. Off Leffrinckoucke a boat with 50 people on board started to sink in the middle of the sandbanks. The patrol boat 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' alerted the lifeboat 'Jean Bart II' from the SNSM station Dunkirk which arrived, when several people were already in the water. Its semi-rigid was launched and recover the 50 people . The lifeboat took them on board, and their boat was then taken in tow by the lifeboat 'Jean Bart II' from the SNSM station in Dunkirk. The castaways were dropped off in Dunkirk in the morning, where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police. In the morning of Sep 29, the semi-rigid from the coastal surveillance brigade of the maritime gendarmerie of Boulogne-sur-Mer and the 'Maroni' assisted a boat with 45 people on board, off Camiers. After several engine damages, the castaways were adrift and requested assistance from the 'Maroni', which took them on board. The castaways were then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-mer.