No shortage of candidates for IMO courage award

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This year saw no fewer than 38 recommendations for the International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2011. The award is a relatively recent innovation, but seems to have established itself rapidly in the minds of flag state administrations, which by and large make the recommendations.

When, at the behest of the retiring secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos, it was first announced, it was hoped that it would prove a counterweight to both the invisibility of those who work at sea and provide visible recognition of what they sometimes do so well. The numbers of recommendations would appear to have justified all these early hopes. Courage represents an unashamed "good news" story, and there continue to be plenty of them to show seafarers and marine rescuers in a wholly favourable light and raise the profile of shipping.

This year, the Assessment Panel and Panel of Judges had to adjudicate between some quite extraordinary acts of courage, seamanship and skill. There were people who voluntarily put themselves in harm's way to rescue large numbers of refugees who faced drowning in heavy weather in unsuitable craft. There was the crew of a tug who launched a small boat to haul four people out of a freezing sea off China, a fishing boat crew who rescued three fellow fishermen from their stricken craft in the midst of a "super-typhoon" and a brave rescue craft Boatswain who leapt into a raging sea as his team hauled the survivors of a sunken ship from certain death.

There were astonishing acts of seamanship, with Masters of big ships handling their vessels with great skill as they rescued people from small sinking craft. The Master and crew of a heavy lift ship somehow managed to rescue 226 migrants, including women and children, from their sinking craft in harsh weather and heavy seas. There was the crew of a large containership who fought a raging fire and exploding dangerous goods which threatened to destroy their ship. Two supply boat crews which did amazingly brave things as the Deepwater Horizon rig caught fire were recommended. To read such a collection of brave deeds, all recognised by certificates or letters of commendation, was to be humbled at the courage and resourcefulness of so many people.

In the end, the award was given to the astonishingly courageous Master of the chemical tanker Samho Jewelry Captain Seog Hae-gyun of the Republic of Korea, for his action in thwarting the large gang of Somali pirates who had taken over his ship. With no account for his own personal safety, Captain Seog managed to delay the ship's forced diversion to the coast of Somalia by a series of strategies that enabled a South Korean warship to catch up and mount a successful recapture.

His ruses included altering course away from Somalia, making the engine misfire, pretending that the steering gear had broken down and slowing the ship right down to six knots. He also managed to provide vital information to the pursuers by inserting Korean words into the English language message he was forced to make by his captives. He was savagely beaten with several of his bones broken, but as the Korean commandos launched their rescue mission he was able to warn them that three pirates were still loose on the bridge. He was shot four times by the pirates as the rescuers stormed the bridge and was near death, but the remainder of his crew were unharmed and his ship was saved. Captain Seog, who although not fully recovered from his ordeal attended in person, surely did perform acts of exceptional bravery and in the words of the citation, surely helped to raise the profile of shipping and enhance its image.

BIMCO – Watchkeeper

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