At around 10 a.m. on Thursday, the Gris-Nez regional operational surveillance and rescue center (Cross) was contacted by the cargo ship Elena "which reports a boat of around forty migrants in difficulty, some of whom are at sea. ", About 24 km off Dunkirk, said the maritime prefecture in a press release.
The Cross then sets up a search and rescue system made up of "numerous means" to provide them with assistance, including an NH90 helicopter from the Belgian Air Force. The latter, arrived on site, informed the Cross that "the boat is sinking" and "that there would potentially be several men overboard", in water at 17 ° C. "The helicopter hoists several castaways on board" and drops them aboard the
Flamant
, a French Navy patrol vessel, and two nearby fishing vessels.
The freighter's lifeboat recovered an "unconscious" person and a medical evacuation was then called for with the NH90 helicopter.
The castaway was deposited at Calais hospital "where he was taken care of by medical teams", explained the maritime prefecture without further details.
More than 9,500 crossings in 2020
“All the castaways” were recovered and disembarked at the port of Dunkirk, where they were taken care of by the departmental fire and rescue service and the border police.
The Dunkirk prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for assistance with irregular entry and endangering the lives of others.
Read also Channel: sad record with 430 migrants who tried to reach the United Kingdom in one day
"Other rescue operations are still underway under the coordination of the Cross Gris-Nez" and "the results are being consolidated", added the maritime prefecture.
In 2020, more than 9,500 crossings or attempted crossings of this type were recorded, four times more than in 2019, according to an official report.
Six people were killed there and three disappeared, after four deaths in 2019. As of Wednesday, 108 had been rescued in the strait aboard four separate boats.
