Vigilance Key: IMO Bravery Award Winner Warns

Acts of exceptional bravery at sea honoured at annual awards ceremony.

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. 

He was honoured during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on 24 November 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from 24 November to 3 December 2025.  

IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr. Lee "for the extraordinary leadership, courage and selflessness" he displayed, adding that the safety of seafarers remains paramount at IMO.  

Ms. Lydia Ferrad of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which had nominated Mr. Lee, accepted the award on his behalf. 

A story of survival and comradeship 

In a statement to IMO ahead of the awards, Mr. Lee recounted how he risked life for his crewmates on 8 November 2024, when the fishing vessel Geum Seong No. 135 rapidly listed and capsized:  

"In that instant, my body moved instinctively, my actions preceding my thoughts. I acted on the belief, ingrained from my days as a scuba diving instructor, that cool headedness saves lives."  

Mr. Lee, who had no prior search and rescue training, immediately jumped into action, throwing two life rings and helping crew members climb to safety in extremely difficult conditions. While some crew members managed to hang on to the propeller - the only part of the vessel that remained above water - others were swept away by strong currents and waves.  

"I prioritized my colleagues over my own safety. It wasn't so much a choice I made, but rather a feeling of family, having lived together on the sea. That feeling remains unchanged to this day," he continued. 

Out of the 27 crew members on board the vessels, 12 were rescued by Mr. Lee. He was the last to leave the Geum Seong No. 135. 

"At every moment I wanted to give up, my family's faces came to mind. And my colleagues before me looked at me with eyes that said, 'I want to live.' That gaze made my body move again," he added. 

He was grateful for the award, while stressing that the safety of seafarers is not an individual responsibility, but one that both shipowners and governments must share: "We must never forget that a single lapse in vigilance can take a life." 

Certificates of Commendation 

During the event, Certificates of Commendation were presented to the following:   

• Captain Flouris Dimitrios and the crew of the tug supply vessel Aigaion Pelagos, nominated by Greece, for their exceptional bravery, exemplary seamanship and resource management skills in the salvage operation of the M/T Sounion. The Captain and crew successfully averted the catastrophic environmental disaster under adverse safety and security conditions, risking their own lives. The vessel was sailing in the Red Sea carrying about 150,000 metric tons of heavy crude oil and nearly 3,000 metric tons of fuel/bunkers on board, when it was struck by three uncrewed aerial devices and lost engine power. After the crew evacuated, several explosions and fires dispersed on the main deck, causing extensive damage to the vessel.  The crew carried out an extensive salvation operation, boarding the abandoned vessel under extreme heat and hazardous conditions, managing to extinguish all the fires and ensure the cargo was stationary. The actions of the Aigaion Pelagos Captain and crew were crucial in preventing an environmental disaster.   

  Captain Dimitrios was at the Awards Ceremony to receive the certificates.     

• The Captain and crew of the Rescue 901 helicopter of the 103 Squadron, Gander NL&L, Royal Canadian Airforce, nominated by Canada for their courage, tenacity and technical skill displayed during the rescue of the 20 crew members of the 207-meter-long disabled cargo vessel MBC Baltic III. The helicopter required hand flying due to turbulence from persistent and extreme aircraft altitude, while the vessel violently rocked amidst 18-foot waves and 40-55 knots of wind. Though the ship's deck grew dangerously slippery due to ice and the bridge in complete disarray with scattered debris, the rescue team successfully managed to hoist the whole crew to safety.    

  Major Peter Wright and several crew members received the certificates.      

• The Members of the Special Rescue Team of the Japanese Coast Guard, nominated by Japan, for their courage and determination during the rescue of the remaining survivor of the Japanese tugboat Shouei-Maru that caught fire and capsized due to a collision with a cargo ship while towing a barge.  Divers from the Kobe Coast Guard Office found and rescued the captain of the boat, who unfortunately passed away at the hospital. The Special Rescue Team later arrived at the site of the incident and struck the tugboat with a hammer to check for survivors. When they heard hammering back, the Team dived into the upturned tugboat without hesitation, risking their lives by entering without waiting for safety measures in poor conditions. After half an hour, the crew member was found and brough to safety just before the boat sank. This rescue operation was extremely difficult and carried out at great personal risk to the members of the Special Rescue Team who took part in it to save a life.    

  The certificates were received by Mr. Kento Noda, Leader of the Special Rescue Team, Japan Coast Guard.  

• Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) Micheal Diglio, Coast Guard rescue swimmer at the Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater of the United States Coast Guard, nominated by the United States, for his brave and decisive actions during the rescue of two mariners stranded aboard the disabled sailing vessel Venture amidst the extreme conditions of the tropical storm Debby. After seeing a distress flair in the darkening sky, AST2 Diglio had to rely on the helicopter's senses instead of visual cues during the search. Once the vessel was located, he deployed into the sea under time pressure due to the limited fuel reserves, battling rough currents and torrential rain to intercept the survivors. 

  After securing the first survivor amid towering waves and 50-knot winds, he signalled for the hoist whilst keeping the mariner stable during the ascent. He repeated this for this rescue process for the second survivor. AST2 Diglio displayed selflessness and courageous leadership whilst executing a life-threatening rescue operation.  

  AST2 Diglio was in London to accept his certificate at the Awards Ceremony.    

Letters of Commendation   

The following have been sent Letters of Commendation:   

• Lieutenant Md. Shoiful Alam and the crew of the Bangladesh Coast Guard Tug Promotto, nominated by Bangladesh, for demonstrating courage and determination during a fire-fighting operation on the crude oil tanker Banglar Sourabh, successfully averting an oil spill and preventing significant marine environmental damage in poor weather conditions.    
• The Master and the crew of the M/V Maersk Leader, nominated by Brazil, for rescuing all 20 crew members of the Bram Force, which has caught fire during a night operation with low visibility and a 2.5-meter swell. The crew completed six round trips between vessels to bring them to safety.    
• Captain Todor Ivanov Todorov and the crew of the M/V Eleen Armonia, nominated by Bulgaria, for rescuing 34 crew members from the burning vessel Hasil Abadi 28, which was not visible on radar, battling the fire at great risk of explosion.    
• Captain Xu Jiamin, Master of the M/V Luo Tong 7002, nominated by China, for leading a successful rescue of all 17 crew members from the drifting crane ship Yu Hang Qi Zhong 28 during a typhoon, using expert ship-handling skills in complete darkness and 4-5-metre waves.   
• Mr. Li Wenxia, crew member of the of rescue helicopter B-7312, Beihai No.1 Rescue Flying Service, BeiHai Rescue Bureau, nominated by China, for showing exceptional resolve during the rescue of a fisherman who was holding onto the mast remaining above water of fishing vessel Jileyu 02163.     
• Captain Qiang Li and the crew of the hopper dredger Jun Yang 1, nominated by China, who towed the powerless Leo Empire away from a reef, preventing a fuel spill and saving all seven crew members from a life-threatening situation and serious environmental incident.    
• Captain Xiao Wei and the crew of the M/V Xin An Ning, nominated by China, for rescuing three people set adrift at sea after their pneumatic boat lost control and contact for five days without food or water.    
• Captain Zhao Guoqiang and the crew of the M/S Amoy Century, nominated by China, who responded without hesitation to a distress call and rescued by the M/V ASL Bauhinia, which was on fire with hazardous cargo and 22 crew members and three security guards aboard, despite the danger of the explosion.    
• Captain Kondrate Gvadzabia and the crew of the oil/chemical tanker Owl 5, nominated by Georgia, for demonstrating exceptional seamanship skills and professionalism by manoeuvring in rough seas and darkness to evacuate a critically ill civilian for helicopter extraction.    
• Mr. Albert Buettner, Mr. Peter Pfeiffer, Mr. Alex Hempel and Mr. Rene Baudisch, the leader and the members of the Towing Assistance Team (TAT), Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME), nominated by Germany, for showing great resolve in towing the powerless M/T Eventin, preventing it from grounding and causing major environmental damages from the 100,000 tons of crude oil aboard.    
• Captain Soni Thomas and the crew of the INS Teg, Indian Navy, nominated by India, displayed outstanding bravery in rescuing nine survivors from the capsized tanker Prestige Falcon during strong winds and limited visibility, though one life was sadly lost.    
• Captain Sabinesh S. Vayath and the crew of the M/V Maersk Yukon, nominated by Panama, for their vigilance and skill in rescuing two fishermen adrift for four days after their boat's engine broke down, maneuvering the vessel in harsh conditions to bring them to safety.    
• The crew members of the search and rescue vessel BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), Philippine Coast Guard, nominated by the Philippines, demonstrated leadership and courage when rescuing 16 of 17 crew members from the sinking M/T Terranova during a typhoon, preventing a massive fuel spill of 1.4 million litres.    
• Captain Byungsuk Park, Master of the fishing vessel 999 Bumsung, and Captain Hyeongtaek Im, Master of the fishing vessel 621 Yeongsin, nominated by the Republic of Korea, coordinated the night rescue of 10 fishermen from the capsized 136 Danuri, in conditions of large waves and strong winds.    
• Captain Hyunwoo Park, Master of the fishing vessel New Angel, nominated by the Republic of Korea, for bravely rescuing 11 passengers, some of whom were drifting at sea with life jackets and close to hypothermic shock, from the flooded and grounded vessel Fighting, rushing to the half sunken vessel to save lives.    
• Captain Atıl Aycan Aksoy, Master of the tug vessel Kurtarma 5, nominated by Türkiye, who prevented a collision by skilfully pushing the drifting Bunun Ace away from shore and passing boats moored, avoiding disaster.    
• The crew members of the M/T T. Caroline, nominated by Türkiye, for courageously saving two people from the sinking sailing yacht Delfin and Deniz in rough seas, when helicopter and tug assistance was deemed unfeasible.    
• Lieutenant Robert Turns, Lieutenant Commander Joshua Womboldt, AMT2 Eric Lamy and AST2 Hunter Joseph, crew members of helicopter CG- 6048, Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, United States Coast Guard, nominated by the United States, for carrying out a high-risk nighttime rescue beyond operational limits in complete darkness and challenging circumstances to save an unresponsive mariner from the fishing vessel Alaska Victory.    

Seafarers' migrant rescues recognized   

The bravery, professionalism and compassion demonstrated by crews of merchant vessels in the rescue of migrants at sea around the world was given special recognition, with the captains and crews of 11 different vessels, nominated by China, the United Kingdom, and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).    

Galaxy Leader 

The Secretary-General further recognized the courage of the captain and crew of the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader, who endured more than a year in captivity between November 2023 and January 2025.  

"Their ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the many seafarers who, through no fault of their own, have been held hostage or subject to prolonged detention and grave danger at sea amid geopolitical tensions," said Secretary-General Dominguez.  

IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea   

This annual Award was established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent damage to the marine environment.    

• Previous recipients of the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea  
• Browse photo gallery of the IMO Awards on Flickr