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194 migrants rescued in several missions, three deceased

On Sep 9, several assistance and rescue operations were coordinated by the CROSS Gris-Nez to assist migrant boats. On the early morning, the CROSS was informed of the departure of a migrant boat from Gravelines beach and engaged the 'Oyapock' to make contact with the overloaded boat. Later that night, the gendarmerie boat was relieved by the 'Abeille Normandie'. Several people on board the boat requested assistance, and the emergenvy tug rescued 24 people and disembarked them in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The remaining occupants continued on their way. The same morning, the CROSS was alerted to the departure of a boat off Fort Mahon. Several resources were deployed in turn by the CROSS to monitor the boat, among them the 'SNS7-034 Notre Dame des Sables' from the SNSM station in Berck-sur-Mer, the 'Oyapock', the 'Ouranos' from the nautical brigade of the Calais gendarmerie, the PSP 'Flamant' and the ''Jacques Oudart Fourmentin'. The occupants refused the assistance offered by French resources. A few hours after the boat's departure, the SNSM-lifeboat rescued a person who had fallen overboard and was then taken into care by the SDIS 62. Still on the morning. the departure of a boat was reported off the coast of Dieppe. The CROSS immediately engaged the a'SNS 091 Sainte-Anne-des-Flots' from the Dieppe SNSM station. Other resources were then deployed to take turns monitoring the boat as it progressed along the coastt, among them the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin', the semi-rigid inflatable boat 'SNS 6-016 Entre deux Baies' from the Fort-Mahon SNSM station and the 'Flamant'. The boat refused the assistance offered by French resources. At the end of the day, while still monitoring the boat, the 'Flamant' deployed its EDO to get as close as possible to the boat. Shortly after, 10 people were rescued by the EDO and taken to the beach at Equihen by the fire department. The other occupants of the boat continued their voyage. Several hours later, during the night, all migrants aboard the boat requested assistance. They were thus rescued in their entirety by the 'Flamant'. In total, 125 people were rescued by the patrol boat, including 10 taken ashore and 115 disembarked at the quay in Boulogne-sur-Mer. On the evening of Sep 9, a migrant boat was reported leaving Hardelo. Several migrants attempted to return to shore with difficulty. The gendarmes then entered the water and rescued an unconscious man, whom they managed to revive. The CROSS deployed the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' to monitor the boat, and the 'Minck' and an aircraft to search for and, if necessary, rescue potential shipwrecked persons during the boarding phase. The firefighters and ground security forces present on site, along with the civil defense, took charge of a group of migrants on the beach. The boat refused any further assistance and resumed its voyage under the surveillance of the'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin'. Parallel searches conducted in the area using nautical and aerial means did not result in any new shipwrecked persons. During the night of Sep 9, the 'Abeille Normandie' was engaged by the CROSS to search for an overloaded boat. Once on site, the occupants requested assistance. 44 people were rescued by the tug's crew, including three unresponsive people. A conference call was established with the Maritime Medical Coordination Emergency Medical Service in Le Havre to establish a medical assessment prior to the deployment of a team from the Maritime Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Unit (SMUR) in Boulogne-sur-Mer using the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based in Le Touquet. Once on board, the SMUR doctor pronounced the three people dead.