IMRF Awards 2019 Open for Nominations

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) is calling for outstanding individuals, teams, professionals or volunteers, companies and organizations involved in maritime search and rescues (SAR) all around the world to be nominated for an IMRF Award 2019.

"The World Health Organisation estimates that 40 people drown every hour around the world, but without the incredible actions of maritime search and rescue professionals that number would be much higher," says Theresa Crossley, CEO of IMRF.

"These Awards recognize those incredible people and the new innovations and technologies that make saving lives at sea possible, even in the most difficult and demanding circumstances. 

The IMRF Awards are now in their fourth year. Last year's winners included a ship's master who rescued three starving fishermen drifting on a sinking boat, a lifeboat station crew from the Netherlands that had rescued four people from a drifting guard vessel in force eight north westerly winds with 10- meter high waves, and a pink rescue buoy flotation device that's saving lives around the coast of South Africa. In addition, two exceptional lifetime awards were presented to two individuals with more than 100 years between them, saving lives at sea in the Caribbean and Bulgaria.

Nominations are open for the four Award categories:

Individual: For Outstanding Individual Contribution to a Maritime SAR Operation
Team: For Outstanding Team Contribution to a Maritime SAR Operation
Innovation & Technology: For Innovation and Technology in the field of Maritime SAR
Lifetime Achievement: The Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Maritime SAR Sector

This year, the Awards ceremony will be held during London International Shipping Week (September 9-13, 2019). The 2019 Awards lunch will take place on an historic vessel moored on the River Thames in London on September 10.

Visit www.imrfawards.org to submit a nomination.