Abeille-Liberte

In the morning of June 20, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed of a migrant boat with engine trouble in the Equihen-Plage sector. Two people, including one wearing a lifejacket, were in the water near the boat, about 500 meters from the shore. The CROSS diverted a nearby fishing as well as an EC135 helicopter from the national gendarmerie in flight in the area, the semi-rigid of the 'Abeille Liberté' and the hydrographic vessel 'Laplace' of the French Navy. The first person in the water returns to the beach on his own. The second person was picked up by the diverted fishing vessel and transferred aboard the 'Abeille Liberté'. At the same time, the 'Laplace' provided assistance to the castaways who remained on board the boat, which was disabled and adrift. The ship recovered 33 additional persons and dropped them off at the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.

In the afternoon of Jan 2, 2022, the CROSS Jobourg was alerted that a pleasure vessel had run aground on the rocks surrounding the Fort de l'Est in the large harbour of Cherbourg after its propeller got fouled. On scene was a 1.5 m swell and wind gusts of 40 knots. The CROSS deployed the 'Abeille Liberté', which was at anchor in Cherbourg, the lifeboat 'Cap Lévy II' of the SNSM station Fermanville and the tug 'Fréhel' of the French Navy, based in Cherbourg The 'Cap Lévy II' succeeded in passing a towing wire to the pleasure boat which was refloated and then towed to the port of Chantereyne in Cherbourg.

In the night of Oct 17 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that migrant boats were in difficulty off the departments of Nord and Pas-de -Calais. The 'Abeille Liberté' recovered 15 castaways and dropped them off in port from Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of by the border police and the departmental fire and rescue operational center. The PSP 'Flamant' recovered 82 castaways and dropped them off at the port of Calais. The lifeboat 'Jean Bart II' of the SNSM station in Dunkirk recovered 76 castaways in two missions. They were dropped off in the port of Dunkirk. The lifeboat 'President Jacques Huret' of the SNSM station Boulogne-sur-Mer was deployed to a sinking boat and recovered 40 castaways in a state of hypothermia. They were dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. A Dauphin helicopter of the Navy base in Le Touquet was engaged in an operation to relocate a boat in difficulty.