ABEILLE NORMANDIE

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136 migrants rescued in numerous missions

From the night of June 20, 2025, to June 21, numerous migrant boat departures were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez. First, the departure of a boat was reported to the CROSS in the Cayeux-sur-Mer area. The "SNS 708 - Quartier Maître Gilbert Vandenberghe" from the Cayeux-sur-Mer SNSM station was deployed aling with the semi-rigid boat "SNS 7-034 Notre Dame des Sables" from the Berck-sur-Mer SNSM station. The 'Abeille Normandie' took over from the 'SNS 7-034' and monitored the boat. Once on site, the tug launched its RHIB to assist the boat during a migrant boarding phase along the beach. The RHIB rescued one person from the water and delivered him at the beach at Cayeux-sur-Mer. Later on June 20, the CROSS Gris-Nez engaged the 'Minck' to assist another migrant boat that had left from the beach at Hardelot. Once on site, the 'Minck' started monitoring the boat, which was heavily laden and in poor condition. In response to a request for assistance from people on board the boat, the 'Minck' recovered 20 people and continued to monitor the boat, which continued its voyage towards British waters, with the remaining occupants having refused assistance. Once the migrants on board the boat had been taken into care by British assets, the 'Minck' headed for Boulogne-sur-Mer to drop off the 20 people. On the morning of June 21, more migrant boat departures were reported to the cROSS Gris-Nez, starting with a boat from the port of Dunkirk West. The CROSS successively engaged the "SNS 276 - Notre Dame des Flandres" from the Gravelines SNSM station and the 'Oyapock' of the Maritime Gendarmerie and later the 'Ridens' as a relief to monitor the boat. Once on site, the 'Ridens' reported a request for assistance from some of the boat's occupants following an engine damage. During an initial recovery phase, the boat began to break up, and some of its migrants fell into the water. The CROSS Gris-Nez then again engaged the SNS 276,' the 'Oyapock' and an RHIB of the patrol boat 'Flamant' to assist the 'Minck' in recovering the castaways. 38 people were recovered and transferred aboard the 'Minck'. The remaining occupants of the boat were taken into care by British resources. The 'Minck' then headed to the port of Calais, where the rescued people could be taken into care by the land authorities. At the same time, the departure of a boat was reported to the CROSS from the Bay of Wissant. The CROSS deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to locate it and monitor the boat. Once on site, the tug reported the poor condition of the boat, which was beginning to break up, and launched its two rubber boats, which recovered all 77 people from the boat. The castaways were dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Me, where they were taken into care by the land authorities. In total, during these operations, 136 people were rescued and taken into care by state resources.

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.

54 migrants rescued off Sangatte

On the aarly imorning of , June 11, 2025, the CROSS Gris-Nez was notified that a migrant boat was in difficulty off the coast of Sangatte. The 'Abeille Normandie' was deployed by CROSS to locate the boat. Once on site, the crew of the emergency tug discovered that the boat had suffered an engine failure, and rescued 50 people on board, followed shortly after by the remaining four. The 54 migrants were then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken into care by the shore-based rescue services.