Rescuers shadow a crowded small boat off Nieuwpoort for hours until it crosses into French waters
The roughly thirty people on board refused to be evacuated; French authorities took over at around 3 pm.
A small boat carrying about thirty people drifted for hours off the coast of Nieuwpoort on Sunday before crossing the French border at around 3 pm, RTBF reports, citing the maritime police. French authorities then took over monitoring, bringing the Belgian operation to an end.
At around 5:30 am the 112 emergency centre received a call from the boat, which was in difficulty. Rescue services deployed the NH90 rescue helicopter and several rescue and police vessels, but poor visibility meant the helicopter only located the boat at around 8 am, some three kilometres offshore, La DH writes. According to the maritime police, the boat had lost all sense of direction.
Those on board did not want to be taken off, La DH reports. Three vessels stayed nearby, ready to step in if needed. Dries Derudder, spokesperson for the Maritime Services Agency, confirmed to VRT NWS that only men were on board. The broadcaster describes them as transit migrants and notes that such a boat had once again been spotted off the Belgian coast.