The American Waterways Operators has named the first recipients of its Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award.
The award, presented at the recent AWO Winter Safety Meeting in Houston, was created “to document and recognize rescues undertaken by AWO member company employees that demonstrate selflessness, skill and bravery.”
Qualifying events for the award include, among others: rescuing commercial or recreational mariners; responding to an onboard medical emergency; recovering a person who has fallen overboard; responding to a person in distress while traveling to or from the boat; and “other selfless service actions that reflect the safety culture of the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry.”
The inaugural HERO awardees include those aboard two American Commercial Barge Line vessels — MV Ron Callegan and MV Safety Explorer — for, respectively, rescuing a crewmember from a fall overboard near the Plaquemine, La., ferry and saving a crewmember of another vessel who had fallen overboard.
The crew working for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. on the Houston Ship Channel Project was also honored for rescuing three civilians from the water after their boat caught fire.
In addition, the crews of three Ingram Barge Co. vessels were lauded by the AWO for their heroic actions. The honorees include those aboard MV Mary K. Cavarra, who rescued a person in the water near the St. Paul City riverfront; the crew of MV Michael J. Granger, who rescued a distressed automobile driver who had entered the water near Paducah, Ky.; and the crew of MV Midland, who responded to a health emergency on their vessel by rendering immediate care and supporting an airlift evacuation on the Illinois River.
“We are proud to recognize the inaugural recipients of the American Waterways HERO Award and we congratulate them on this achievement,” said AWO President and CEO Jennifer Carpenter.
“These crews exemplify the purpose of our launching this award: to recognize the heroism of the men and women of America’s tugboat, towboat and barge industry, whose actions prevent harm and save lives on the water every day. We look forward to highlighting such acts of professionalism and selflessness, and at the same time learning from those efforts to continue improving safety across our industry.”