CROSS-A ETEL has just released its annual report for 2023, showing an overall activity level consistent with that of 2022 across all its missions.
In 2023, there were 3,631 SECMAR operations (search and rescue, assistance to property – damages, breakdowns due to inadequate maintenance, insufficient preparation, or anchorage failures) coordinated by CROSS, compared to 3,623 in 2022 and 3,625 in 2021, mostly within territorial waters. This number of operations has remained steady for several years, having reached a plateau in 2018.
A total of 2,533 operations were recorded during the summer season alone (from May 1 to September 30), representing 70% of the annual SECMAR activity and confirming a trend seen over the past three years. On August 2, 2023, in particular, CROSS coordinated 61 operations (with an additional 14 operations classified without follow-up). Additionally, there was significant activity noted before and after the peak months of July and August, largely due to favorable weather conditions in 2023. Overall, 7,278 people were affected, with 60% being recreational boaters, resulting in 52 fatalities and 4 disappearances.
For the second year in a row, the emergency number 196 has been the primary alert method.
Maritime navigation surveillance mission
Besides SECMAR operations, CROSS-A also carries out a general maritime navigation surveillance mission known as SURNAV. This mission involves monitoring maritime traffic to detect and analyze any situation posing a potential danger to navigation, and providing maritime assistance.
In 2023, CROSS managed 970 cases within this mission, including 115 events related to maritime assistance (such as damages and maintenance issues that deprived the vessel of maneuvering capabilities), with two incidents requiring towing. Rapid detection of potentially degraded situations for vessels remains a key priority for the navigation surveillance mission.
Search and rescue zone under the responsibility of Cross Etel-A
The search and rescue area under the responsibility of CROSS-A Etel extends from the Pointe de Penmarc’h (South Finistère) to the Spanish border (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). Covering an area of 190,000 km², it includes a coastline of 2,600 km spread across the regions of Brittany (1,177 km), Pays de la Loire (450 km), and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (973 km), encompassing 8 coastal departments, 340 coastal communes, and 38 island communes.
