87 migrants have been rescued, while one person remains missing after a shipwreck in the English Channel off the French department of Pas-de-Calais. The boat sank on the evening of November 14 in the French search and rescue zone, near the border with the British zone.
The French regional operational center for monitoring and rescue issued a distress alert and sent watercraft and aircraft to the scene. The rescue vessel “Abeille Normandie”, assisted by its boat, pulled 87 people from the water. One of them was suffering from hypothermia.
Search for the missing person continued
After the rescue, it was established that one person was missing. The search involved a “Dauphin” helicopter belonging to the French Navy, an EC135 helicopter operated by the gendarmerie, a British DA 62 aircraft, the patrol vessel “Pluvier”, the Navy's coastal patrol vessel, the rescue vessel “Minck” and a British border vessel.
The area was searched for several hours, but the missing person was not found. By decision of the maritime prefect of the English Channel and the North Sea, the operation was called off at 22:00.
The rescued people were taken to the port of Calais, where they were received by teams on shore.
Warning about the dangers in the English Channel
The French maritime prefecture warned of the risks faced by people attempting to reach the United Kingdom in overloaded and unstable boats.
“The English Channel is one of the busiest maritime areas in the world, and weather conditions are often difficult,” the maritime prefecture said.According to the French authorities, strong winds, currents, sandbanks and low water temperatures further increase the danger for people who end up in the sea.
Sources: dev.radio6.fr