Acts Of Bravery At Sea Recognised At Awards Ceremony

One of the two winners of the 2024 International Maritime Organization (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea are the Captain and crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, who worked tirelessly to contain a fire after the vessel was hit by an anti-ship missile fired by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

The incident happened in late January 2024 about 60 nautical miles off the coast of Aden. The tanker had been carrying naptha, a highly flammable liquid fuel, and the missile strike caused a fire in the ship's starboard cargo tanks.

As per an account of the incident on the French Ministry of Defence website, flames reached a height of 30 metres while crews struggled to bring the blaze under control using foam cannons and then seawater.

The crew of the ship had to battle the fire alone for more than four hours before help arrived in the shape of a number of vessels including the French frigate Alsace, the U.S. frigate USS Carney, Indian warship INS Visakhapatnam, and another tanker, the Achilles.

Thanks to their combined efforts the fire was eventually fully extinguished, and steel plates were used to repair the hull breach caused by the missile. The damaged ship was then escorted to safer waters.

Those honoured received medals and certificates at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London on December 2. Captain Avhilash Rawat of the Marlin Luanda was at the 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.” 

The other winners of the main IMO Award were the captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya, for their rescue of six shipwrecked persons from four different vessels off Mexico's Pacific coast during Hurricane Otis in October 2023.

At the ceremony, Captain Jorge Fernando Galaviz Fuentes commented: "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.”

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez commended the worthy 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.  

The crew of the Alsace were also among those cited at the IMO awards for their efforts in helping extinguish the fire on the Marlin Luanda. 

• You can read more details, including the full list of winners and nominees, on the IMO website and you can read more about the Marlin Luanda incident and other sailors honoured on the French Ministry of Defence website