During the night of April 8–9, a fire broke out aboard the cargo vessel RDJ Waalstroom, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, while transiting the English Channel. The incident triggered a coordinated multinational rescue operation.
The crew reported a fire in the engine room and successfully sealed the compartment to prevent the spread of flames. At the time of the incident, the vessel was within the UK search and rescue zone, with coordination led by MRCC Falmouth. One crew member was evacuated by helicopter, and no further casualties were reported.
As a result of the fire, the vessel lost propulsion and began drifting, eventually entering French waters overnight.
French authorities then took over coordination through CROSS Jobourg under the authority of the maritime prefect for the Channel and North Sea. A H160 helicopter with an assessment team was deployed, along with the emergency response tug Abeille Liberté, equipped with advanced firefighting systems.
After the situation was brought under control, the vessel was taken under tow and safely delivered to the port of Cherbourg.
The incident ended without major injuries, highlighting once again the
