Remarkable stories of skill and gallantry at sea, as well as support for local maritime communities, have been recognised and rewarded at a national awards ceremony held in London.
Read MoreNational maritime charity, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, is calling on members of maritime and rescue communities to nominate those who have demonstrated outstanding bravery and expertise in aiding those in peril at sea, for its annual Skill and Gallantry Awards.
Since 1851, the Society has awarded individuals and crews who have shown courage, bravery and expert skill during rescues at sea, and is once again on the lookout for our seafaring heroes.
Nominations for the Skill and Gallantry Awards are now open with the Society seeking worthy recipients for its Lady Swaythling Trophy (for an outstanding feat of seamanship); Edward and Maisie Lewis Award (for an outstanding air/sea rescue or casvac) and the Emile Robin Award (for an outstanding sea rescue by a British Captain or Chief Officer of a vessel of any nationality, or the Captain or Chief Officer (of any nationality) of a British owned or flagged merchant vessel). Nominations are also open for Crew/Team and Individual Commendations (for outstanding actions in saving or safeguarding life at sea).
The charity is calling for nominations relating to rescues that took place between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024. The closing date for submissions is Friday 10 May 2024.
This year’s prestigious Skill and Gallantry awards ceremony will take place at the Society’s Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 1 October, at Fishmongers’ Hall in London.
Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Captain Justin Osmond, said: “As they do each year, the Skill & Gallantry Awards will allow us to commemorate the unsung heroes of the maritime industry. It is always an honour to commend the selfless actions taken by those in the maritime community who have been working at sea in dangerous conditions over the last year.
“Whilst those working within the maritime and rescue communities are often humble and consider themselves to only be doing their job, it is important that we recognise and celebrate truly heroic acts and as such, I encourage anyone to come forward who has a nomination to make.”
Founded after the tragic loss of a fleet of fishing boats in 1839, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society provides financial support to individuals in need who have worked or are still working at sea in the merchant marine and fishing industries, as well as their dependants. Last year alone, the Society made regular grant payments to 1,253 cases of people in need at a cost of over £1.0 million.
To submit a nomination for this year’s Skill and Gallantry Awards, contact:
Capt Justin Osmond RN, Chief Executive
Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, 1 North Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TL
Tel: 01243 789329
general@shipwreckedmariners.org.uk
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Six remarkable stories of skill and gallantry at sea have been recognised and rewarded at a national awards ceremony held in London.
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National maritime charity, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, is calling on members of maritime and rescue communities to nominate those who have demonstrated outstanding bravery and expertise in aiding those in peril at sea, for its annual Skill and Gallantry Awards. Find Out More
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Four remarkable stories of skill and gallantry at sea have been recognised and rewarded at a national awards ceremony held in London last week.Find Out More
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Three remarkable stories of skill and gallantry at sea have been recognised and rewarded at the Society’s SKill & Gallantry Awards, held in London this week.
The skipper of a fishing vessel, the captain of a large merchant vessel, a boat owner’s son and a committed charity volunteer were among those celebrated by the Society, for their bravery at sea and dedication to supporting those in need.
The Lady Swaythling Trophy was awarded to Captain Richard Hoey, of the MV Maersk Montana, for ensuring the extraordinary safe recovery of the crew of a sinking sailing vessel in the North Atlantic in September 2019.
Captain Hoey was praised for his calm and professional approach, showcasing expert crew management and ship handling to complete a remarkable rescue.
The Emile Robin Award, for an ‘outstanding rescue’, was presented to Lewis Mulhearn, the skipper of the potting fishing vessel, Galwad Y Mor.
In December 2020, Galwad Y Mor was operating in crabbing grounds north of Cromer when an underwater explosion raised the vessel up from the sea surface. Despite suffering from three broken vertebrae, a broken sternum, knee damage, a broken orbital bone and multiple face lacerations, the skipper managed to prepare his crew to abandon ship and in perilous conditions, orchestrated the rescue by an offshore support vessel of all six individuals on board.
An Individual Commendation was awarded to Peter Paterson, son of the owner of a sinking sea angling vessel, for the rescue of the skipper and six crew members in August 2020.
With a mayday call relayed to him by a local fisherman, Mr Paterson rushed to his own boat and persuaded a friend to act as his crew as he began the rescue of those on board, several of whom could not swim or had not donned their life jackets correctly.
Expertly manoeuvring his boat and with the skilled assistance of his crew member, he picked up the first two casualties before positioning to embark the remaining five. Once aboard, he transported all of the casualties back to Kinlochbervie Harbour, where the emergency services were waiting to provide medical support.
A Lord Lewin Award for outstanding service to the charity was also presented to one of the Society’s volunteers. Claire McIntosh, the Honorary Agent for Eyemouth, was honoured for her dedicated casework and exceptional commitment to the maritime community in the Scottish Borders town.
The honours were presented at the Society’s 170th annual Skill & Gallantry Awards by the charity’s Patron, HRH The Princess Royal.
Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Captain Justin Osmond RN, commented: “Our Skill and Gallantry Awards are a fantastic opportunity for the maritime community to celebrate the brave, unsung heroes of the industry.
“The maritime sector is not only vital to the UK, but those working at sea can also find themselves at the mercy of Mother Nature, so it is hugely important that we recognise the remarkable and selfless acts that are carried out every single year off our shores and those around the world.
“We are also honoured to celebrate individuals within the charity that give so much of their time to supporting the maritime community, enabling us to help those in need. Their work has been as important as ever over the past 18 months and we are so grateful for their contributions during this challenging period.”
The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society offers support to those across the UK that are suffering hardship during, or after fulfilling their life at sea. The charity aims to offer support to seafarers, and their dependants, to make a positive difference to their lives. The charity continues to provide help to thousands of individuals each year by offering financial and practical support to those in need and last year launched a £1m COVID-19 support fund to further help seafarers in need affected by the pandemic.
To find out more information about the charity, visit www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk, www.facebook.com/shipwreckedmariners or follow @ShipwreckedSoc on Twitter.
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The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is calling on members of the maritime and rescue communities to nominate those who have demonstrated outstanding bravery and expertise in aiding those in peril at sea, for its 169th Skill and Gallantry Awards.
Since 1851, the Society has presented the awards to individuals and crews who have shown courage and expert skill in rescues at sea, with this year’s awards set to be presented at the charity’s AGM in October.
The Society is calling for nominations relating to rescues that took place between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020. The closing date for submissions is 12 noon, Friday 1 May 2020.
Among last year’s recipients was Jay Holden, the skipper of the Fishing Vessel Emilia Jayne, who was presented with the Society’s Lady Swaythling Trophy for facilitating the rescue of his crewmate who fell overboard in severe winds and high seas off the coast of Salcombe, Devon, in March 2019.
The Edward and Maisie Lewis Award, for an ‘outstanding rescue’, was presented to the crew of helicopter Rescue 01 based at Mount Pleasant Airfield in the Falkland Islands, who carried out two consecutive, complex and demanding rescues of critically ill patients in demanding and dangerous conditions that pushed their mental and physical endurance to the limit.
Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Captain Justin Osmond, said: “The Society’s Skill and Gallantry Awards provide us with the opportunity to recognise and celebrate true acts of heroism at sea each year, whether through expert teamwork or individual bravery.
“The awards are now in their 169th year and whilst many of our heroes are extremely humble and see their actions as simply part of their job, we want to encourage nominations from individuals or organisations so we can thank those who have gone to great lengths to protect others.”
Founded after the tragic loss of a fleet of fishing boats in 1839, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society provides financial support to individuals in need who have worked or are still working at sea in the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets, as well as their dependants. Last year the Society distributed more than £1.4m in grants in over 2,000 cases of need and received more than 500 new applications for assistance.
To submit a nomination for this year’s Skill and Gallantry Awards, contact:
Capt Justin Osmond RN, Chief Executive
Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, 1 North Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TL
Tel: 01243 789329
general@shipwreckedmariners.org.uk
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Three remarkable stories of Skill & Gallantry at sea have been recognised and rewarded at the Society’s annual awards ceremony held in London this week.
The skipper of a fishing vessel, rescue helicopter crews and committed charity volunteers were among those celebrated by national maritime charity, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, for their bravery at sea and dedication to supporting those in need, at its annual Skill & Gallantry Awards ceremony.
The Lady Swaythling Trophy was awarded to Jay Holden, the skipper of the Fishing Vessel Emilia Jayne, for facilitating the rescue of his crewmate who fell overboard in severe gale force 9 winds and 20ft seas off the coast of Salcombe, Devon, in March this year.
Mr Holden was praised for his calm and professional approach as well as his commitment to safety measures which all but certainly saved the life of his crewman.
The Edward and Maisie Lewis Award, for an ‘outstanding rescue’, was presented to the crew of helicopter Rescue 01 based at Mount Pleasant Airfield in the Falkland Islands. The crew carried out two consecutive, complex and demanding rescues of critically ill patients in demanding and dangerous conditions that pushed their mental and physical endurance, as well as that of their helicopter, to the limit.
As the crew battled with the demanding and treacherous weather conditions, including gale force 9 winds, they showed no sense of giving up and demonstrated exceptional professionalism, skill and bravery to bring the patients to safety.
A Crew Commendation was awarded to the crew of Rescue 924 helicopter, who were tasked with evacuating the crew of the French fishing vessel La Fanette which was drifting, having lost power and at risk of running aground close to Land’s End. Arriving on scene just 40 minutes later, they encountered gale force 9 winds, with gusts up to 60 knots, and 20ft waves. The vessel was pitching and rolling unpredictably making a suitable transfer point difficult to identify.
The majority of the operation had to be flown manually and at night, requiring exceptional airmanship, with the added pressure that the vessel was slowly drifting towards rocks. Despite this, all crew members were winched to safety before receiving medical treatment.
Lord Lewin Awards for outstanding service to the charity were also presented to two Honorary Agents for their remarkable commitment and long-term service. Superintendent ‘Sal’ Van Beem was honoured for her dedicated casework and exceptional commitment to the maritime community in Hull.
A Lord Lewin award was also presented to Caroline Spencer, who has been an honorary agent – one of the charity’s volunteers operating around the UK – for the Society for the last 16 years. Caroline was credited with being an effective and dedicated fundraiser for the Society, diligently managing one of its large mines, including overseeing the delivery and installation of a brand new mine in 2007.
The honours were presented at the Society’s 168th annual Skill & Gallantry Awards by President, Sir George Zambellas GCB, DSC, DL, FRAeS, at the charity’s AGM at Fishmongers’ Hall in London.
Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Captain Justin Osmond RN, commented: “The Skill and Gallantry Awards is a fantastic opportunity for the maritime community to celebrate the brave, unsung heroes of the industry. This not only includes individuals who have displayed bravery and skill by helping those out at sea but is also an important opportunity to recognise the remarkable work of the charity’s Honorary Agents, who are vital to the success of the Society.
“We are honoured to celebrate these individuals that give so much of their time to supporting the maritime community, as without their dedication we would not be able to help as many people as we do. The awards are our way of saying thank you to everyone and to show our appreciation for everything they do.”
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The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is calling on members of the maritime and rescue communities to nominate those who have demonstrated outstanding courage and expertise in aiding those in peril at sea, for its 168th Skill and Gallantry Awards.
Since 1851, the Society has presented the awards to those who have shown bravery and skill in rescues at sea and this year’s awards will be presented at the Charity’s AGM in October.
Among last year’s recipients was Steve Chamberlain, a deck officer for Wightlink, who received an Individual Commendation for his courageous rescue of a man who fell from Gunwharf Quays. His quick thinking, determination and exceptional bravery ensured the rescue of the man from perilous conditions in Portsmouth harbour.
Founded after the tragic loss of a fleet of fishing boats in 1839, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society provides financial support to individuals in need who have worked, or are still working at sea in the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets, as well as their dependants. Last year the Society distributed more than £1.4m in grants in over 2,000 cases of need and it received 503 new applications for assistance.
Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Captain Justin Osmond, said: “Last year we recognised large-scale rescue operations out at sea as well as individual acts of bravery on our shores. We hope to honour many more seafarers and rescue crews who consistently demonstrate their courage and dedication to keeping others safe at sea.”
“The Society has been presenting these awards for 168 years and we are once again calling for nominations for those who have acted with skill and gallantry, so that we, and the wider community, can rightly celebrate their tremendous efforts.”
The Society is calling for nominations of acts of rescue that took place between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019.
To submit a nomination for this year’s Skill and Gallantry Awards, contact:
Capt Justin Osmond RN, Chief Executive
Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, 1 North Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TL
Tel: 01243 789329
general@shipwreckedmariners.org.uk The closing date for nominations is 12 noon, Friday 3 May 2019.
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Four remarkable stories of bravery at sea have been recognised and rewarded for their outstanding demonstrations of skill and gallantry at the Society’s awards ceremony held in London this week.
Helicopter crews, rescue swimmers, a ferry deck officer and brave sailing crew were among those celebrated by the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, whilst two charity volunteers were also praised for their dedication and service.
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