Channel: a deceased migrant, one missing and more than 400 rescued at sea

Europe 1 with AFP 07:56 am, November 04, 2021

A migrant died, another was reported missing and more than 400 were rescued at sea on Wednesday following the sinking of several makeshift boats in the Channel, said the Dunkirk prosecutor's office and the maritime prefecture.

"Many" rescue operations were carried out in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais, beginning in the night of Tuesday to Wednesday and continuing "until the evening" Wednesday, indicates in a statement the maritime prefecture of the Channel and from the North Sea (Premar).

An investigation for "manslaughter"

"More than 400 people were recovered. (...) Unfortunately, despite the means implemented, one person is missing and another has been declared dead," writes the Premar. "A person was announced to me who died today in the context of the sinking of a 'small boat', which would have been damaged, and which would have been wrecked, in particular because of the overload", had declared earlier the Attorney for the Republic of Dunkirk, Sébastien Pive.

The deceased "is a priori an adult, we are talking about someone in his thirties", and his boat was carrying "about forty people" according to the first elements of the investigation, "still to be verified", said Sébastien Pive. The prosecution opened an investigation for "manslaughter", entrusted to the Border Police (PAF).

The other castaways who were traveling with him "were recovered by the SNSM (national sea rescue company) and brought back to land, at Loon beach," he added.

According to Premar, the castaway "was recovered unconscious. Rescuers did their utmost", but he was "declared dead when he returned to the dock".

During another rescue operation, "the recovered castaways told rescuers that a person had fallen into the sea off the Pas-de-Calais", continues the maritime prefecture.

But the searches undertaken did not make it possible to find it and were suspended at the end of the morning "for lack of new elements".

Multiplication of rescue operations

Rescue operations have multiplied in recent days off the North and Pas-de-Calais.

They required Wednesday the intervention of several ships of the Navy, stars of the maritime gendarmerie, various units of the SNSM (national company for sea rescue) or two helicopters of the French and Belgian armies.

"There is strong activity this week," possibly driven by "relatively mild weather conditions," observed the Dunkirk prosecutor.

During the night of Monday to Tuesday, 292 migrants had been recovered at sea during seven separate operations.

According to the maritime prefect Philippe Dutrieux, some 15,400 migrants attempted the crossing between January 1 and August 31, of which 3,500 were "recovered in difficulty" in the strait and brought back to the French coast.

In 2020, crossings and attempted crossings concerned some 9,500 people, compared to 2,300 in 2019 and 600 in 2018.