THEMIS

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338 migrants rescued alive, one died

On May 11, several migrant boat departures were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez Regional in the Strait of Dover (62). The CROSS deployed several rescue resources to monitor all the boats. Shortly after the departures, several boats encountered difficulties and requested assistance. Initially, in the morning, a boat was reported in the Malo-Les-Bains area. The CROSS initially deployed the BSAM 'Rhône' for surveillance. Some of the migrants on the overloaded boat requested assistance, and some jumped overboard. The CROSS then engaged the 'VB Puissant' and the Dunkirk Maritime and Port Security boat 'ESMP 04' for the rescue. The 'VB Puissant' rescued 22 people, including several injured, and the 'Rhône', with the assistance of the maritime gendarmerie boat, assisted 23 migrants. The remaining people on the migrant boat refused assistance and continued on their way. Once dropped off at the dock in Dunkirk, the 45 migrants were taken into care by the land authorities. At the same time, a second boat was reported in the Dunkirk area. The CROSS engaged the 'Minck' for surveillance. Once on site, 23 people requested assistance. The remaining occupants of the migrant boat refused all assistance and continued on their way. Once dropped off at the dock in Calais, the 23 people were taken into care by rescue services on land. During the night of May 11, a boat departing from Hardelot was monitored by the patrol vessel 'Thémis'. During the surveillance, the boat broke up following the loss of the transom where the engine was attached. The CROSS also deployed the ''Abeille Normandie' and a Dauphin helicopter, along with a medical team from the Boulogne-sur-Mer maritime emergency medical service. 13 people were rescued by the 'Thémis', including one person declared dead by the SMUR doctor. The 'Abeille Normandie' recovered the remaining people from the boat. A total of 68 people (including several injured) were taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. During the night, all occupants from another boat requested assistance and were picked up by the 'Ridens'. The 56 rescued people were taken to Boulogne. A total of 192 people were rescued and cared for by government resources. Among them, one person died. On May 1, 2025, the CROSS Gris-Nez coordinated assistance after a boat carrying 45 people was reported by the 'ESMP 04' departing from the port of Dunkirk. The 'Abeille Normandie' was engaged by the CROSS, then relieved by the 'Jacques Oudart Fourmentin' Three of the boat's occupants were rescued and brought ashore in Boulogne-sur-Mer by the patrol boat. At the same time, a second boat carrying 76 people was reported departing from Dunkirk at around 6:00 a.m. The 'Minck' notified the CROSS of the need to monitor the overloaded boat. The lifeboat 'SNS276-Notre-Dame des Flandres' was then engaged by the CROSS and was relieved by the 'Armoise' of the Maritime Gendarmerie. which rescued all occupants of the boat following an engine failure. The patrol boat reported one person requiring medical assistance among those rescued. A conference call was then established with the Maritime Medical Coordination Emergency Medical Service in Le Havre. Once docked in Calais, the 76 people were taken care of by land authorities and the injured person by firefighters. Finally, a boat carrying 68 people was reported at 6 a.m. off the coast of Gravelines by the 'Notre Dame de Flandres' of the Gravelines SNSM station at around 10:30 a.m- The 'Abeille Normandie', which was monitoring the boat, informed the CROSS Gris-Nez that the boat was taking on water and was sinking, immediately went to the aid of the victims and recovered all of them, thanks in particular to the rapid launching of its EDO boat- There were two injured people on board. Once docked in Boulogne-sur-Mer, all boat people were taken care of by the land authorities and the two injured by rescue teams. A total of 147 people were rescued during the day.

Several migrant boats received assistance

In the morning of Jan 31, 2024, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that several migrant boats were in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais and deployed the 'Thémis' and the semi-rigid 'President Jacques Lebrun' from the SNSM station Boulogne-sur-Mer. The patrol boat Thémis recovered 14 people on board, who were taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken care of by the land rescue services and the border police. Later in the morning, the CROSS Gris-Nez engaged the mine warfare experimentation vessel BEGM Thétis, of the French Navy, to assist a second boat in difficulty off the coast of Audresselles. The crew of the 'Thétis' rescued the people on board the precarious boat. While the operation was underway, the weather deteriorated with stronger winds and increasingly rough seas. The CROSS Gris-Nez then engaged the 'Abeille Normandie'. 27 people were rescued by the crew of the 'Thétis' and then taken care of by land rescue teams at the dock in Calais. At the same time, the crew of the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued 28 people and dropped them off at the quayside in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of by shore based emergency services.

About 60 migrants rescued in two missions

On Sep 25, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a boat was in difficulty off Dunkirk. The 'Themis' picked up around twenty castaways and dropped them off at the port of Dunkirk where they were taken care of by the border police. In the night of Sep 25, the CROSS Gris-Nez got t in contact with migrants requesting assistance off Sangatte. The 'Themis' picked up around forty castaways, some of whom were in a mild state of hypothermia. The castaways were dropped off at the port of Dunkirk West and then taken care of by the fire figthers and the border police.