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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 2022 awards were presented at Fishmongers’ Hall on Wednesday 5 October. For the full story, click here.
The Lady Swaythling Trophy was awarded to Richard Pitman, Coxswain of the RNLI Padstow lifeboat ‘Spirit of Padstow’, for outstanding seamanship during the recovery of a badly-damaged fishing vessel in violent storm force conditions earlier this year.
Richard was praised for his meticulous planning in preparing the boat and its crew for what lay ahead, and subsequently skippered the boat in the most demanding of conditions whilst consistently displaying first class decision-making skills.
Read the full citation here.
The crew of Rescue 924 – HM Coastguard helicopter based at Newquay – has been awarded the Edward & Maisie Lewis Award this year for outstanding air sea rescue.
Under consistent pressure throughout the period they used outstanding judgement and exceptional crew co-operation to assess and prioritise their tasking, whilst effecting multiple demanding rescues. This included exceptional airmanship to rapidly extract the crew of a yacht which was registering at 45° having previously run aground on rocks.
Read the full citation here.
The crew of Rescue 924 – HM Coastguard helicopter based at Newquay – has been awarded the Edward & Maisie Lewis Award 2021 for outstanding air sea rescue.
On the afternoon of Thursday 20 August 2020, Rescue 924 was alerted to assist with reports of casualties caught in heavy surf in Church Cove, off the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall.
Following a challenging rescue, the crew provided medical support to the casualty, who was hypothermic and exhausted, before transporting him to Treliske Hospital where he was promptly taken to the Emergency Department.
Read the full citation here.
An Individual Commendation was awarded to Mark ‘Spike’ Hughes, an HM Coastguard paramedic, for his ‘meritorious actions in rescuing others’ after helping a fisherman trapped in machinery onboard a Danish fishing vessel last year.
In June 2021 the Rescue 900 HM Coastguard helicopter was sent to provide assistance to the casualty located 75m west of Shetland. Arriving on scene, Mark was lowered to the bow of the vessel and immediately made his way to the fish hold where he found the casualty to be entrapped in heavy machinery. The fisherman had major injuries to his lower right leg, which he was unable to release.
Despite the extremely unpleasant and unhygienic conditions, and without any indication of the availability of further assistance, Hughes provided first-class care and support to the casualty, as well as inspirational leadership for the vessel’s crew.
Read the full citation here.
A Crew Commendation was awarded to the crew of Helimer 401, a Spanish Super Puma helicopter, for its meticulous planning and outstanding airmanship after helping two crew members of a Catamaran adrift in severe weather last summer.
In July 2021, the UK Maritime Co-ordination Centre – in consultation with the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Coruña – advised that Helimer 401 be tasked with helping two crew members of a 44ft Catamaran, which was on passage to the UK.
The catamaran had no radios capable of long-range communications and was also without a life raft. It also became clear that the yacht had no propulsion or steerage and the two crew members were concerned that the vessel was likely to break apart in the prevailing conditions.
Arriving on scene, over the course of the next 20 minutes, the crew of Helimer 401 recovered the crew in two consecutive, skilfully executed winching serials.
Read the full citation here.
This award is given to Honorary Agents of the Society who have given outstanding and long service.
Grimsby: Suesan Brown
Suesan Brown has worked for the Fishermen’s Mission for seven years, initially in the Boston area but latterly in Grimsby where she is now Honorary Agent for the Society. This year she has been presented with the charity’s Lord Lewin Award for caseworking, recognising her outstanding commitment to the maritime community.
Suesan’s primary responsibility is to oversee a hugely demanding caseload. She works tirelessly to oversee over 130 of the Society’s regular beneficiaries – which is the largest individual caseload of anyone in the UK – as well as the many individuals who receive one off grants.
Read the full citation here.
Beer & Seaton: Sylvia Aplin
Sylvia Aplin has been an Honorary Agent of the Society’s for 11 years now, having taken over from her late husband who was himself an Honorary Agent for over 45 years. This year she has been presented with the charity’s Lord Lewin Award for fundraising in Beer and Seaton, Devon, recognising her long standing dedication to the local maritime community.
An amazingly enthusiastic fundraiser, Sylvia regularly works with Beer Congregational Church to raise funds for the Society, whilst also overseeing the management of one of the Society’s large collecting mines situated across the UK.
Read the full citation here.
