2023 CSA Ship Safety Award Honorees

CSA commends and proudly honors our 2023 Ship Safety Award Honorees who through their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner. Often the saving of human lives or the rescue and/or recovery of foundering ships and barges appears routine.  It is not routine – ship handling skills; excellent seamanship and rigorous training make these acts of courage possible.  Catastrophes are prevented through anticipation, hazard assessment, training and emergency preparedness.

We encourage you to click each vessel’s name to read the honorable actions that lead to these awards. These vessels and companies were recognized at our Safety Awards in New Orleans in June 2024.

 

Top Honor

We commend the crew of the Copper Spirit for their heroic actions and bravery on May 8, 2023. The ship was westbound in the Mediterranean Sea when a distress call was received. In the dark of night, the Copper Spirit arrived on scene, and the crew rescued all 35 people aboard however, their heroics were not done yet. The ship immediately received another call for a second vessel in distress and raced to the scene where the crew rescued an additional 72 survivors. In total, the crew safely rescued 107 survivors in the darkness, provided food and shelter until safe disembarkation in Italy.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Top Honor testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the LNG Abuja II for their selfless response on October 12, 2023. While transiting the Gibraltar Strait, a VHF call from traffic control alerted the watch to a missing small craft possibly in the area. In difficult conditions, the astute watch located a distressed migrant raft and immediately all hands onboard responded. In what was an entire team effort, the crew rescued 25 migrants including children from an inflatable life raft who had been drifting at sea for days providing them food, supplies, and encouragement to the appreciation of the survivors shouting, “Thank you Abuja, thank you Abuja!”

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Top Honor testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

Citation of Merit

We commend the crew of the MV Safety Star for their seamanship and swift actions on July 14, 2023. The vessel quickly and cautiously maneuvered to the scene of an overturned pleasure craft with two adults and two young children in the water. The crew sprang into action and rescued all four survivors from an extremely dangerous situation pulling them onboard to safety.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the MV David M. Fleming for their seamanship and swift response on March 30, 2023. The vessel was navigating the San Jacinto River when the crew received a distress call from a sinking vessel with one person overboard. The crew immediately responded and rescued the survivor from the water with no injuries and brought them to safety.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the MV Mike Sanders for their swift response and seamanship on March 9, 2023. In the early hours of the 9th, the crew astutely heard a verbal distress call from a person who inadvertently drove their car off a ferry dock and was in extreme danger. The Sanders crew expertly maneuvered to the scene as another vessel arrived to assist as well. In a team effort, the survivor was rescued and transferred to safety.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the MV Safety Challenger for their alert response and bravery on February 22, 2023. The crew was alerted a nearby vessel’s crew member had fallen overboard in the early morning hours and the Safety Challenger immediately reacted. Once on scene, the crew located and safely rescued the survivor from the water though selfless and heroic actions.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the MV Mark Glaab for their quick response and seamanship on January 15, 2023. The crew was alerted a cargo ship lost propulsion off the Citgo dock in Lake Charles and was heading for an allision with the pier. The crew urgently broke from her barges on the dock and expertly prevented the cargo ship from causing a catastrophic event. The bravery of the crew saved the potential loss of life, property and an environmental incident.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the MV Leo Lutgring for their swift response and heroic actions on January 14, 2023. A nearby vessel’s crew member fell overboard while handling lines and the crew of the Leo Lutgring immediately responded through selfless action to safely recover the survivor.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the M/V Hallie M Merrick for their bravery and elite response in the early morning hours of November 20, 2023. While at the dock, a passing pilot boat had an explosion sending the crew member overboard. The Merrick crew immediately shut down cargo and diligently navigated in darkness to the survivor in the water. They retrieved the survivor then bravely proceeded to the pilot boat to fight the fire. Remarkably, the crew was able to extinguish the pilot boat fire, secure the boat alongside and bring the survivor and pilot boat safely ashore.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the Sid Moller for their heroic actions and alert response on April 16, 2023. While underway in the Texas City Channel battling hazardous conditions, the watch saw a small skiff capsize while crossing the channel with two men in the water in life-threatening danger. The crew immediately notified USCG and responded, astonishingly recovering both survivors in less than ten minutes. The crew then diverted to the dock to meet USCG rescue for emergency medical services to be rendered.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the Avance Polaris for their quick response and bravery on March 23, 2023. The vessel received a USCG call requesting assistance for a demasted sailboat with five survivors onboard. The crew altered course and arrived on scene. Through stiff winds and rocky seas the crew safely recovered three small children and an adult unharmed then deviated to drop them off in Hawaii. They also provided additional supplies which enabled the crippled sailboat to return ashore.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the Pacific Gannet for their bravery and response on October 23, 2023. The crew diverted to respond to distress call of a yacht in flames. Upon arrival, all survivors had abandoned ship in a life raft. The crew diligently navigated through the scene to the life raft and rescued all three survivors who were cared for until Coast Guard rescue arrived.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Citation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

Letter of Commendation

We commend the crew of the MV American Reliance for their seamanship and service on June 6, 2023. The vessel diverted while departing Brownsville, Texas to assist a fishing vessel in distress. The American Reliance’s crew secured the fishing vessel and crew and returned it and the crew safely ashore.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Commendation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the M/V Jason Golding for their service and response on June 9, 2023. The crew was standing by to discharge barges at the refinery when the watch spotted a survivor in distress in the water. The crew immediately responded retrieving the survivor on board and providing initial care. The crew then launched the skiff and transported the rescued survivor safely to family ashore.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Commendation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the M/V Thomas E Rollins for their seamanship and alert response on October 26, 2023. While underway in the Laguna Madre, the crew responded to a disabled pleasure craft DIW in the middle of the channel. In addition to avoiding a collision, the crew launched the skiff to assist the owner who had abandoned ship swimming toward land. The crew expertly maneuvered the skiff and towed the boat out of the channel creating a safe channel for navigation and assisting the survivor by preventing personal injury.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Commendation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

We commend the crew of the Green Lake for their service and response on June 24, 2023 off the US West Coast. One of their own showed life threatening signs and required a medivac. In coordination with USCG, the expertly trained crew navigated the vessel and fought less than ideal weather conditions to evacuate the crewmember via helicopter basket litter. The actions of the crew saved their fellow crewmember’s life.

Their actions exemplify the devotion to duty and professionalism of the merchant mariner.

This Commendation testifies to actions in keeping with the highest tradition of the sea – aid to those in peril.

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