The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has awarded the 2020  Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea to Mr. Mario Santos Teixeira and Mr. Fabio Rodrigues Alves de Abreu, members of the Sao Paulo Pilots, as well as Petty Officer Second Class Ralph Ofalla Barajan of the Philippine Coast Guard. Pilot Teixeira and Pilot Abreu expertly responded to an emergency condition arising during a ship-to-ship oil operation in extreme weather and PO2 Barajan displayed exceptional leadership while off-duty, ensuring the survival of 62 lives in the sinking of M/V Siargao Princess.

Additionally, IMO awarded Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Douglas M. Niebaum of United States Coast Guard Air Station Sitka the Certificate of Commendation for his bravery, professionalism, and endurance for his actions in rescuing five crew members of the fishing vessel Masonic and later on the same day assisting the sinking fishing vessel Neto, saving the Captain.

Members of the United States Coast Guard search and rescue team that rescued 24 crewmembers aboard the capsized M/V Golden Ray were awarded the Letter of Commendation.

The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations and the global standards setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.  Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented. 

Additional information on the previous recipients of these awards can be found at www.imo.org

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official publications, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These publications remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.