Imagine it is in the evening, and you are peacefully sailing your tanker, which is carrying a cargo of naptha – a burnable, liquid hydrocarbon mix. Suddenly, there’s an enormous bang to starboard, and a shock wave of force shudders throughout your vessel. Your ship has been hit by an anti-ship missile. The sirens blare – the fires are greater than five metres tall and are spreading fast.
How would you respond?
Or perhaps you can imagine that you are safe, at a storm berth, sheltering from a wrathful hurricane. It’s dark. It’s the middle of the night. The seas are high, the water is ferocious, the winds are insane, and the danger is extreme. Then you learn that people are shipwrecked, and are desperately struggling to survive the angry sea.
What would you do?
Fight the fire, or die
For the crew of the Marlin Luanda (IMO 9829899), the choice was simple. Fight the fires, or die.
The 109,991 deadweight vessel was hit by an anti-ship missile about 110 km south east of Yemen on the evening of 26 January 2024. The missile was fired by Houthi terrorists as part of their campaign to disrupt international shipping. The vessel was en-route from Suez to Incheon (South Korea) when it was attacked.
The missile strike had ignited a cargo tank – and that is most definitely not good news for an oil tanker carrying a naphtha cargo.
Captain Avhilash Rawat organised firefighting efforts, ensuring the the safety of the crew – even though the starboard lifeboat was destroyed – and the continuing navigation of the vessel.
“Despite the extreme danger and the constant threat of further attacks, the crew fought the fire using fixed foam monitors and portable hoses,” the International Maritime Organization reports.
And then the firefighting foam ran out.
The fire spread, particularly affecting an adjacent tank. But the heroic crew managed to contain the fire using seawater.
After four and a half hours fighting the fire by themselves, the crew received help from the commercial tanker, Achilles, and were later joined by a French frigate, a US frigate, and an Indian warship. Despite the extra help and additional supplies of firefighting foam, the fire persisted and re-ignited multiple times. Experts recommended that the vessel be abandoned.
“However, Captain Rawat and his crew persisted. The turning point came when professionally trained firefighters from the Indian Navy boarded the ship,” the IMO reports. The Indian firefighters and the crew of the Marlin Luanda finally succeed in putting out the fire and sealing the hull breach.
Captain Avhilash Rawat was at the IMO award ceremony to receive the medal and certificate, saying: “I want to take this opportunity to thank my entire crew for their exceptional courage, professionalism, and unwavering dedication. Your support and trust were invaluable during those critical hours, and together, we overcame challenges that seemed insurmountable.”
He thanked the naval crews who assisted and the ship’s owners. He added: “Finally, to all the brave seafarers navigating the high seas, your commitment, courage, and resilience inspire not only those of us aboard but also those who rely on the sea for their livelihoods. As we sail through both calm and stormy waters, let us remember that it is our unity, skill, and determination that strengthen us and keep us committed to the work we do.”
Outstanding courage and resolve
On 25 October 2023, hurricane Otis struck Mexico’s Pacific coast as an “unprecedented” category 5 storm.
Starting off life as a tropical storm, the system intensified into a major hurricane in just a few hours with winds over 300 km/h and waves over five metres high.
The crew of the tug Pemex Maya, led by Captain Galaviz, were securing their vessels in the Bay of Santa Lucia.
“The extreme conditions prompted the crew to navigate away from the coast and assist others in distress,” the IMO report states, adding, “During the peak of the hurricane, the crew of the Pemex Maya remained vigilant, searching for survivors amidst the chaos”.
At 02:30am, the crew sailed towards light signals from three people in lifejackets fighting the “turbulent waters”. They later rescued another survivor who was found without a lifejacket and clinging to piece of wood. Another two people were spotted in the adrift and the tug crew had to carry out “risky manoeuvers” to rescue them.
Hurricane Otis caused extensive damage and numerous deaths in Mexico. But, because of the outstanding courage, resolve, bravery, and seamanship of the crew of the Pemex Maya, there were at least six people who survived the system. They were in shock, exhausted, and suffering from injuries, but they were alive.
He said: “October 24 and 25, 2023, will remain etched in our memory, not only for the challenges we faced during the devastating passage of Hurricane Otis but also for the decisions that led us to rescue six shipwrecked individuals under extreme conditions. In those moments of uncertainty, our strength did not come only from preparation but from a shared commitment: to safeguard lives, even at the risk of our own. United as a maritime community, we are capable of overcoming any storm.”
Valiant efforts, heroism, and dedication
The captains and crews of the Marlin Luanda and the Pemex Maya received the medals and certificates during the annual International Maritime Organization Awards Ceremony on 02 December 2024.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez commended the recipients of the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. “It is truly an honour to have this opportunity to recognize the valiant efforts and dedication of these heroic individuals, who took it upon themselves to act in the face of extreme danger at sea, to save lives. Their bravery is an inspiration for all of us,” he said.
Certificates and Letters of Commendation
The sea has always been, and remains, an exceptionally dangerous working environment. As the American author and commercial cargo sailor, Herman Meville wrote, “when beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean’s skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang”.
And so, every year there are outstanding feats of bravery from seafarers of every nationality who are working in waters all around the world.
This year, Certificates of Commendation were issued to Captain Jerôme Noël Mougoula Saguiliba and Lieutenant Crépin Manfoumbi Mengara of Gabon who were both involved in the search and rescue of 150 passengers and crew of the passenger ferry, Esther Miracle, which capsized off the coast of Gabon in shark-infested waters on 09 March 2023.
Captain Jerôme Noël Mougoula Saguiliba, Master of the LCT Celeste, was nominated for his exceptional ship-handling expertise and determination displayed in the search and rescue operation. Captain Saguiliba rushed to the scene despite challenging weather and currents and rescued survivors from life rafts amid hazardous debris, ultimately saving 107 of the 123 survivors. Lieutenant Crépin Manfoumbi Mengara, on board the rapid patrol boat Mayumba, Gabonese Navy, was nominated for the exemplary leadership and persistence during the search and rescue operation. Lt. Mengara organized and coordinated separate rescue teams to search for survivors, saving the lives of 16 shipwrecked persons; him and his crew later carried out a month of recovery efforts in “gruelling and hazardous conditions” to ensure no-one was left behind and eventually recovered the remains of a further 18 persons.
A further 15 Letters of Commendation were issued to commercial and naval mariners around the world for their bravery, skills and determination in a variety of situations including firefighting, search and rescue of persons in distress from the sea, and for anti-pollution efforts, many during extreme situations.
