In a major rescue operation, French coastguard teams have safely saved 157 people after their boat caught fire in the English Channel. Location: The border between French and British waters, near the port of Boulogne. The border between French and British waters, near the port of Boulogne. Just a few hours before the fire, rescue teams had already saved five people from the same boat. Because of the “structural fragility” of the small boat, rescue teams initially decided to monitor them from a distance.