Indias’s Captain Avhilash Rawat and his crew from the oil tanker Marlin Luanda have been recognised as winners of the prestigious International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2024 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
The accolade was awarded for their “extraordinary courage” displayed during a perilous rescue mission in the Red Sea.
The announcement was made by the IMO on Wednesday, highlighting the “determination and endurance” shown by Captain Rawat and his crew in coordinating firefighting and damage control efforts after their vessel was struck by an anti-ship missile reportedly fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels earlier this year.
The Marlin Luanda was carrying 84,147 tonnes of Naphtha en route from Suez to Incheon when the missile attack ignited a cargo tank, creating a significant fire hazard with flames exceeding five metres.
Despite the severe damage, extreme danger and the constant threat of further attacks, Captain Rawat and his crew promptly organised firefighting efforts, ensuring the crew’s safety and maintaining the ship’s navigability amidst the chaos.
After battling the blaze for four and a half hours on their own, assistance arrived from the merchant tanker Achilles, the French frigate FS Alsace, and the United States frigate USS Carney, which provided additional firefighting foam and support. The Indian warship INS Visakhapatnam also joined the efforts.
Due the valiant efforts of Captain Rawat and his crew, twenty-four hours after the missile strike, the Marlin Luanda sailed to safety under naval escort.
Captain Brijesh Nambiar and the crew of the Indian Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam have been conferred a Letter of Commendation for their crucial support to the oil tanker in distress.
Captain Rawat and his crew were nominated for the award by the Marshall Islands and will be honoured alongside Captain Jorge Fernando Galaviz Fuentes and the crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya, nominated by Mexico, at the annual ceremony.
The event will be held at the IMO Headquarters in London on December 2, during the 109th session of the Maritime Security Committee.
Support Our Journalism
Global Indian Diaspora and Australia’s multicultural communities need fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today – with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors – is doing just that. Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.
Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon and support honest and fearless journalism.
