On Saturday, October 12, 2024, the Gris-Nez Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center (CROSS) coordinated a large-scale rescue operation after three boats were reported in difficulty off the coast of Calais.
State resources were immediately deployed, and two boats carrying 62 and 10 people respectively were rescued by the state-chartered vessel Minck and the Boulogne-sur-Mer SNSM launch SNS077.
A third boat in distress saw some of its occupants rescued by the hydrographic vessel Laplace. In total, 128 people were safely rescued and brought back to land.
Throughout the day, the CROSS Gris-Nez coordinated a total of nine operations, utilizing several resources, including:
- The Laplace hydrographic vessel (BH)
- The metropolitan support and assistance vessel (BSAM) Garonne
- The intervention, assistance, and rescue tug (RIAS) Abeille Normandie, chartered by the French Navy
- The state-chartered vessels Minck and Ridens
- The coastal maritime surveillance vessel VCSM Esteron
The rescue effort was part of ongoing operations in the region to monitor and respond to maritime emergencies. No casualties were reported during the incident, and all those rescued were safely brought to shore.
