Indian ship captain receives maritime bravery award in UK

LONDON: Captain Avhilash Rawat has received the 2024 International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for the "extraordinary courage" shown in a Red Sea rescue mission earlier this year.

At an awards ceremony at the IMO headquarters in London on Monday evening, Rawat accepted the award on behalf of his crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, who had been named winners in July of the prestigious maritime award.

The captain and crew were lauded for the "determination and endurance" they demonstrated while coordinating firefighting and damage control efforts to combat a fire that broke out after an anti-ship ballistic missile struck their vessel back in January. Alongside, Captain Brijesh Nambiar and the crew of the Indian Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam were conferred a “Letter of Commendation” for the support to Marlin Luanda when in distress.

“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,” said Rawat in his acceptance address.

“On behalf of the Marlin Luanda crew, I would also like to convey our sincere thanks to the Indian, French and US Navies; your timely intervention and steadfast commitment were crucial in guiding us through the most critical moments of our firefighting efforts,” he said.

Asked about security concerns in the Red Sea, which has been the target of Yemen's Houthis, Rawat noted that the situation remains “tense”.

“I would request that stop sending ships through the Red Sea. My company has already stopped after this incident,” said Rawat, who hails from Dehradun and is a Master Mariner with Suntech Ship Management.

In a message for those considering a seafaring profession, he added: “The life at sea has always been very lucrative. It is a very good profession and youngsters should be encouraged to join at sea.

“It enables us to know different people, countries and cultures. It instils great confidence and helps one survive in any situation.”

Captain Rawat and his crew were nominated for the award by the Marshall Islands for their brave efforts on the evening of January 26, when the Marlin Luanda carrying 84,147 tons of Naphtha was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile. The explosion ignited a cargo tank, creating a significant fire hazard with flames exceeding 5 meters.

According to the IMO panel's assessment, despite the extreme danger and the constant threat of further attacks, Rawat and his crew fought the fire using fixed foam monitors and portable hoses.

After four and a half hours fighting the fire on their own, assistance arrived from the merchant tanker Achilles and later from the French frigate FS Alsace and the United States frigate USS Carney, which provided additional firefighting foam and support, followed soon after by the Indian warship INS Visakhapatnam.

The turning point came when professionally trained firefighters from the Indian Navy boarded the ship and managed to get closer to the fire due to their superior equipment and their efforts, combined with those of the Marlin Luanda crew, finally succeeded in extinguishing the fire and sealing a significant hull breach.

"Twenty-four hours after the missile strike, the Marlin Luanda sailed to safety under naval escort," the IMO citation notes.

The annual IMO honours are awarded to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment.