The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has awarded the 2021 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea to Mr. Tran Van Khoi from Viet Nam for his extraordinary courage, determination, and endurance.  Mr. Van Khoi, in a rescue mission that extended over three days, rescued four survivors from a sunken cargo vessel, Vietship 01,and sunken fishing vessel despite adversity from extreme weather and heavy seas.

Additionally, IMO awarded Certificates of Commendation to Aviation Survival Technician First Class Joshua K. Mayfield of United States Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City for rescuing two mariners from a sailing vessel, Petty Officer First Class Wallace Qual of Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay for rescuing the master of vessel Legend, and Lieutenant Justin Neal, Lieutenant Jonathan Orthman, Avionics Technician Second Class James Schwader and Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Grant Roberts of Coast Guard Air Station Sitka for rescuing the sole survivor of the sinking F/V Irony.  Each award recipient demonstrated bravery, professionalism, and endurance in their respective rescues.

Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Christopher A. Fisher of Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City was awarded the Letter of Commendation for the recovery of a solo mariner from the distressed S/V Serena.

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.