3 migrants missing at sea and around 50 rescued off Calais
The relief operations made it possible to rescue about fifty migrants in the Channel between Wednesday and Thursday, but three people remained missing at the end of the day.
Some 54 migrants, including two children, were rescued between Wednesday and Thursday off Calais during five different operations, reports the prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea, in a press release sent on Thursday. All the survivors were dropped off at the ports of Calais or Boulogne-sur-Mer to be taken care of by the border police or the firefighters.
On the other hand, three people were still carried this Thursday evening, add the maritime authorities who had to suspend their research for the night.
Two drifting kayaks
The Cross Gris-Nez rescue center was informed early in the morning that two kayaks had been found adrift off Calais. She mobilized for two ships as well as a Dolphin helicopter from the French Navy trying to locate them, without success.
“2 castaways could be recovered by the speedboat Eulimene of the national gendarmerie and deposited in Calais. Unfortunately, the castaways indicated that 3 people were missing “, explains the prefecture, which tirelessly recalls the dangerousness of the Channel crossing where the weather conditions are particularly dangerous. Several migrants have died in recent weeks while attempting the crossing to England .
Between January 1 and August 31, 2021, around 15,400 migrants attempted the crossing according to maritime prefect Philippe Dutrieux. A figure up from 2020, the year in which the number of attempts rose to 9,500.