ABEILLE LIBERTE
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Rescue forces mobilised after migrants boarded large inflatable boat off the coast of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue
Since the early morning of Oct 4, 2026, the CROSS Jobourg was coordinating a surveillance operation off the coast of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, after a boat carrying approximately 120 migrants attempted to cross to England. Approximately 120 migrants boarded a large inflatable boat off the coast of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, which had been reported by a witness to the Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue signal station during the night. The 'Abeille Liberté' was mobilised, carrying firefighters who have distributed life jackets to provide assistance to the migrants. Given the fragility and overloading of the makeshift vessel, the decision was made not to force them in order to avoid endangering their lives. The tug continued to monitor the boat to prevent it from sinking. Resources from the SNSM, such as the lifeboat 'Président Jules Pinteau' and the semi-rigid inflatable boat 'Jacques Armangaud' from the SNSM station in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, were requested as reinforcements at 6:13 a.m., as well as personnel from the SNSM station in Barfleur.
Several assets mobilised to assist migrant boat
On the night of Sep 5, 2026, a precarious boat, carrying approximately 140 migrants, was reported to the CROSS Jobourg, west of the Bay of Seine. To monitor the vessel and be prepared to rescue its occupants if necessary, the CROSS deployed the following assets: - the lifeboat 'SNS 210-Président Jules Pinteaux' and the RHIB 'SNS 652-Jacques Armengaud' from the SNSM station at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue; - the lifeboat 'SNS 086-Amiral de Tourville' from the SNSM station at Barfleur; - the lifeboat 'SNS 17-11-Philippe Kieffer' from the SNSM station at Ouistreham; - the 'Abeille Liberté', carrying four marine fire fighters from the Navy Fire and Rescue Service (SISM) of Cherbourg, reinforcements from the Le Goffic Marine Fusilier company in Cherbourg, and a medical team from the Armed Forces Health Service; - the French Navy H160 helicopter based at Maupertus - the Civil Security helicopter Dragon 50 based at Granville. Ashore, in addition to the Maritime Prefecture teams, state resources were mobilsed to monitor the situation: - the Prefecture of Manche and the Sub-prefecture of Cherbourg; - the Prefecture of Calvados; - the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Manche. After its arrival on the early morning of Sep 6, the 'Abeille Liberté' joined the monitoring operation for the boatz and subsequently took over from some of the SNSM assets, while it was continuing its voyage towards the United Kingdom.
35 migrants rescued off Equihen-Plage
In the morning of June 20, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed of a migrant boat with engine trouble in the Equihen-Plage sector. Two people, including one wearing a lifejacket, were in the water near the boat, about 500 meters from the shore. The CROSS diverted a nearby fishing as well as an EC135 helicopter from the national gendarmerie in flight in the area, the semi-rigid of the 'Abeille Liberté' and the hydrographic vessel 'Laplace' of the French Navy. The first person in the water returns to the beach on his own. The second person was picked up by the diverted fishing vessel and transferred aboard the 'Abeille Liberté'. At the same time, the 'Laplace' provided assistance to the castaways who remained on board the boat, which was disabled and adrift. The ship recovered 33 additional persons and dropped them off at the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
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