132 migrants rescued at sea

Rescuers intervened off the coast of Pas-de-Calais on Saturday February 17 to take care of 132 people who were on board boats in difficulty, indicates the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea.

The Gris-Nez regional operational surveillance and rescue center (CROSS) sent a rescue ship “mid-morning” to rescue migrants from a first boat, off the coast of Gravelines. On board, 57 migrants were rescued. The rescue ship then returned to the port of Calais “in the middle of the afternoon” and disembarked the 57 people, who were “taken care of by the emergency services on land”.

At the same time, “in the middle of the day”, another boat requested assistance. This time, 75 people were on board. They were picked up by a rescue ship then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-mer.

One of the busiest areas in the world

The maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea “warns anyone considering crossing the Channel about the risks involved”. “This maritime sector is one of the busiest areas in the world, with more than 600 commercial ships passing through it per day and the weather conditions are often difficult (120 days of wind greater than or equal to force 7 on an annual average for example ), it is therefore a particularly dangerous sector, even when the sea seems beautiful”she emphasizes.