IMO Gives Bravery at Sea Award to Survivors of Houthi Attack

The captain and crew of the tanker Marlin Luanda, who were attacked by Houthi terrorists earlier this year, have been granted the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. 

On January 26, the Marlin Luanda was under way in the Gulf of Aden with a cargo of 84,000 tonnes of Russian-origin naphtha, bound for South Korea. That evening, Houthi forces hit the Marshall Islands-flagged ship with an anti-ship ballistic missile, sparking a fire. 

Capt. Avhilash Rawat mustered his crew at the port lifeboat station, as the starboard lifeboat had been destroyed in the explosion. Meanwhile, the crew's fire teams fought the fire with foam monitors and hoses. Even after using up all of their foam supplies, and after the fire had spread to an adjacent tank, they continued to fight the blaze using seawater alone.

After about four hours, the tanker Achilles arrived on scene to assist, followed by the French frigate FS Alsace, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney and the Indian Navy's INS Visakhapatnam. These responders supplied the Luanda's crew with more foam to keep fighting the fire, which kept re-igniting despite extinguishing efforts. 

Capt. Rawat was advised to abandon ship by expert consultants, but he and his crew stayed in the fight to preserve the vessel, at great personal risk. The crewmembers were eventually aided by trained marine firefighters from INS Visakhapatnam, who boarded the vessel and helped put out the last of the blaze. The vessel survived and transited safely to a port of refuge under its own power. 
 
On Monday, Captain Rawat?was at the IMO's annual award ceremony to receive the medal and certificate. "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 said. "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." 

Captain Brijesh Nambiar (Indian Navy) and the crew of the?INS Visakhapatnam were also awarded letters of commendation for their contributions to the firefighting effort onboard?Marlin Luanda. 

IMO also granted this year's Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea to Captain Jorge Fernando Galaviz Fuentes?and the crew of the tugboat?Pemex Maya. Capt. Galaviz and crew exhibited "outstanding courage, seamanship skills and resolve displayed in the rescue of six shipwrecked persons from four different vessels, in extreme weather and heavy seas caused by a hurricane," IMO said. 

On October 25, 2023, Hurricane Otis rapidly intensified ahead of landfall and hit Acapulco as a Category 5 storm. Wind speeds exceeded 160 knots and wave heights were in the range of 16 feet. 

The Pemex Maya's crew prepared to wait out the storm in the shelter of the Bay of Santa Lucia. However, at great risk to their own safety, they departed the area to assist other vessels in distress during the peak of the hurricane. 

At 0230 hours, in the dark of night, Pemex Maya maneuvered towards light signals from three people in lifejackets and successfully retrieved them from turbulent waters. Shortly after, the crew rescued another survivor who was found clinging to a piece of wood without a lifejacket. 

Two more survivors were spotted an hour later, wearing life jackets and drifting in the water. The Pemex Maya used life buoys to reach and haul both of them to safety. 

In each case, the Pemex Maya had to execute precise and hazardous movements in high winds and waves, and the crew had to reach and retrieve each survivor in extremely rough water. Each one of these evolutions would be a challenge for any crew, and Pemex Maya successfully carried out six of them back-to-back, in darkness and in the middle of a hurricane.  

At dawn, with the worst of the storm over, the?Pemex Maya?anchored in Acapulco. The survivors were in shock but otherwise in good health, and were transferred ashore for treatment.

"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," said Captain Jorge Fernando Galaviz Fuentes. "United as a maritime community, we are capable of overcoming any storm."

The IMO also issued dozens of letters of commendation, including nine for the good Samaritans and first responders who rescued survivors of the Lahaina wildfire on Maui, Hawaii in August 2023.