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Sounion salvors awarded bravery medal for actions 'crucial in averting environmental disaster'
Captain and crew of tug Aigaion Pelagos commended for quick response in the extensive salvage operation, boarding the abandoned vessel in extreme heat and hazardous conditions, extinguishing the fires and ensuring the cargo’s stability
IMO recognised the bravery of tugboat crews in an awards ceremony in London, UK, that highlighted the dangers of working at sea and the emergency support personnel who respond when those dangers materialise.
Greek tug supply vessel Aigaion Pelagos’ crew and seafarers on a Bangladesh Coast Guard tugboat and a Japanese Coast Guard vessel were commended for their actions responding to maritime fires.
Captain Flouris Dimitrios and the crew of Aigaion Pelagos were awarded a certificate of commendation for their quick response and salvage of tanker Sounion which was struck by three uncrewed aerial devices and lost engine power in the Red Sea in an August 2024 Houthi attack.
The 2006-built tanker was sailing under the Greek flag and carrying about 150,000 tonnes of heavy crude oil and nearly 3,000 tonnes of bunkers when it was repeatedly hit in Houthi attacks on 21 August 2024. Crew on Sounion were rescued, but the tanker was left burning and drifting for weeks.
Aigaion Pelagos carried out an extensive salvage operation, boarding the abandoned vessel in extreme heat and hazardous conditions, extinguishing the fires and ensuring the cargo was stable.
IMO said the actions of the Aigaion Pelagos captain and crew were ’crucial in preventing an environmental disaster’.
At the time of the incident, the EU naval command in the region said "The salvage operation of [Sounion] is essential in order to avert a potential environmental disaster in the region. To achieve this, several public and private actors are working together. EUNAVFOR Aspides assets have been actively involved in this complex endeavour, by creating a secure environment, which is necessary for the tugboats to conduct the towing operation."
The US-based, non-profit Arab Gulf States Institute (AGSI) labelled Houthis as ’ecocriminals’ based on their tactics of attacking, burning and sinking commercial vessels. In a March 2025 analysis, the AGSI said "The Houthi assaults on shipping traffic are deliberate acts of marine pollution, weaponising oil tankers and bulk carriers to advance their political and military agenda."
The report cited numerous examples of Houthi attacks that have endangered what the group described as the fragile but abundant ecosystem of the Red Sea.
"Home to about 1,200 fish species and over 350 types of coral, the region’s coral reefs are one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems and most resilient environments to climate change. Additionally, the Red Sea’s high marine biodiversity generates multimillion-dollar revenue streams for the tourism and fishing industries of littoral countries," the AGSI said.
The AGSI looked at the Houthi attacks on Greek oil tanker Sounion, which burned for more than four weeks before the Houthis allowed EU naval operation Aspides to launch a salvage operation to tow the vessel to safe waters. Had the oil from the vessel spilled, it would have, AGSI said, resulted in the fifth-largest oil spill in history.
Crew on Bangladesh Coast Guard tug Promotto were also commended for demonstrating courage and determination during fire-fighting operations on burning crude oil tanker Banglar Sourabh. Their actions averted an oil spill and prevented significant marine environmental damage in poor weather conditions.
And members of a Japanese Coast Guard rescue team were awarded a certificate of commendation for their courage and determination while rescuing survivors of Japanese tugboat Shouei-Maru which caught fire and capsized due to a collision with a cargo ship while towing a barge. The team used a hammer to check for survivors and dived into the upturned tugboat to rescue them, risking their lives by entering without waiting for safety measures in poor conditions.
Crew of 2009-built anchor handling tug, supply vessel Maersk Leader were commended for rescuing all 20 crew members of 2017-built offshore support vessel Bram Force after it caught fire at night in a 2.5-m swell off Brazil. Maersk Leader crew completed six round trips between vessels to bring them to safety.
IMO Award
Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from South Korea, was awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his actions which saved 12 fellow crew members from Geum Seong 135 when it sunk in November 2024.
IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr Lee “for the extraordinary leadership, courage and selflessness” he displayed, adding the safety of seafarers remains paramount at IMO.
Lydia Ferrad of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, which had nominated Mr Lee, accepted the award on his behalf. Mr Lee risked his life for his crew mates on 8 November 2024, when the fishing vessel Geum Seong 135 rapidly listed and capsized, “In that instant, my body moved instinctively, my actions preceding my thoughts. I acted on the belief, ingrained from my days as a scuba diving instructor, that cool headedness saves lives,” said Mr Lee. He threw two life rings and helped crew members climb to safety in extremely difficult conditions.
Out of the 27 crew members on board the vessels, 12 were rescued by Mr Lee, and he was the last to leave Geum Seong 135.
He was honoured during a special ceremony recognising seafarers held on 24 November 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly, which takes place from 24 November to 3 December 2025.
Certificates and letters
Other commendations were awarded to:
- Captain Todor Ivanov Todorov and the crew of Eleen Armonia for rescuing 34 crew members from the burning vessel Hasil Abadi 28.
- Captain Xu Jiamin of Luo Tong 7002 for leading the successful rescue of all 17 crew members from the drifting crane ship Yu Hang Qi Zhong 28 during a typhoon.
- Captain Qiang Li and the crew of hopper dredger Jun Yang 1 which towed the powerless Leo Empire away from a reef, preventing a fuel spill and saving all seven crew members from a life-threatening situation.
- Captain Xiao Wei and the crew of Xin An Ning, for rescuing three people set adrift at sea after their pneumatic boat lost control and contact for five days without food or water.
- Captain Zhao Guoqiang and the crew of Amoy Century who responded to a distress call and rescued seafarers on ASL Bauhinia, which was on fire with hazardous cargo, 22 crew members and three security guards aboard.
- Captain Kondrate Gvadzabia and the crew of oil/chemical tanker Owl 5 for manoeuvring in rough seas and darkness to evacuate a critically ill civilian for helicopter extraction.
- Members of the towing assistance team of Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies for towing Eventin, which was carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, preventing it from grounding and causing environmental damage.
- Captain Soni Thomas and the crew of the Indian Navy’s INS Teg for rescuing nine survivors from capsized tanker Prestige Falcon during strong winds and limited visibility.
- Captain Sabinesh Vayath and the crew of Maersk Yukon, for rescuing two fishermen adrift for four days after their boat’s engine broke down.
- Crew members of search and rescue vessel BRP Melchora Aquino of the Philippine Coast Guard for rescuing 16 of 17 crew from sinking vessel Terranova during a typhoon, and preventing a fuel spill of 1.4M litres.
- Captain Byungsuk Park, master of fishing vessel 999 Bumsung, and Captain Hyeongtaek Im, master of fishing vessel 621 Yeongsin for the co-ordinated night rescue of 10 fishermen from the capsized 136 Danuri.
- Captain Hyunwoo Park, master of fishing vessel New Angel for bravely rescuing 11 passengers from flooded and grounded vessel Fighting.
- Captain Atıl Aycan Aksoy, master of the tug vessel Kurtarma 5, which prevented a collision by pushing the drifting Bunun Ace away from shore and passing boats, avoiding disaster.
- The crew members of Caroline for saving two people from sinking sailing yacht Delfin and Deniz in rough seas, when helicopter and tug assistance was deemed unfeasible.
Helicopter crews that supported rescue of seafarers during emergencies were also commended.
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