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Skill & Gallantry Awards 2021

Award winners 2021

Since 1851, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society has presented annual Skill and Gallantry Awards to recognise the UK’s unsung sea rescue heroes, as well as those who have given outstanding service to the charity.

The 2021 awards were presented at the Society’s AGM at Fishmongers’ Hall on Tuesday 5 October. For the full story, click here.

Lady Swaythling Trophy – Captain Richard Hoey

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.

Read the full citation here.

Emile Robin Award – Lewis Mulhearn

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.

Read the full citation here.

Individual Commendation – Peter Paterson

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.

Read the full citation here.

Awards to Honorary Agents/Volunteers

The Lord Lewin Award – for outstanding service to the Society

This award is given to Honorary Agents of the Society who have given outstanding and long service.

• Eyemouth: Claire McIntosh, who works for the Fisherman’s Mission as Mission Area Officer for Eyemouth, has been an Honorary Agent for the Society for five years and has now been presented with the charity’s Lord Lewin Award for outstanding service. Claire’s primary focus is producing exceptional grant applications, using her significant experience of supporting people on low incomes to deliver detailed and informative reports. Notably, these applications have generated a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries who now receive support in the area.

Read the full citation here.