At the award ceremony (Photo: VNA)London (VNA) – Tran Van Khoi, a member of RegionalMaritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre No.II based in Da Nang under theVietnam Maritime Administration, has been honoured with the 2021 InternationalMaritime Organisation (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
An award ceremony was held at the IMO headquarters in London,the UK on December 6.
He is the first Vietnamese to be honoured with the award.
As Khoi could not come to the ceremony due to COVID-19, ashort video showing he and his colleagues braved extreme weather and heavy seas torescue four sailors in the sunken cargo vessel Vietship 01, was screened at theevent.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim spoke highly of Khoi’s actswhich helped save many lives during the incident off Quang Tri waters in October.
(Photo: Vietnam Maritime Administration)This annual award is to provide international recognitionfor those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts ofexceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save lifeat sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marineenvironment.
Prior to the award ceremony, the IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim receivedCharge d'Affaires of Vietnam to the UK To Minh Thu, during which the formerhoped that Vietnam will continue to introduce nominations to the award in upcomingyears.
Vietnam holds huge potential in maritime development thanksto its long coastline, he said, affirming that the IMO is willing to cooperateand support Vietnam in the field.
For her part, Thu pledged that Vietnam highly valuedmaritime economy development at large and the maritime industry in particular,and stands ready to partner with regional countries in the field, particularlyin search and rescue.
Vietnam is to run for membership in Category (c) of the IMO Councilin 2023, she said, hoping that Lim will show his support for the country's effort./.
