Article

Australian pilot receives IMO commendation for exceptional bravery at sea


published on 17 September 2021 313 -

Text and graphic by AMSA

In December 2020, Australian Pilot Captain Ritesh Bhamaria was expertly piloting oil tanker MT Godam through the Torres Strait in adverse weather conditions when he and the vessel crew sighted a distant hand waving for help in the rough sea.

That movement turned out to be an uncle and nephew—both local fishermen—who had been clinging to the floating debris for close to 17 hours following the sinking of their boat, with no access to an emergency beacon or other survival equipment.

Captain Bhamaria recalled his surprise at seeing the two stranded men but wasted no time in taking action.

They struggled to maintain sight of the people, losing sight of them three times. Finally, when they caught sight of them again, the crew realised the two men were being circled by hammerhead sharks.

Rather than risking the ship’s crew, by launching a rescue boat in the prevailing weather conditions and potentially not getting to the stranded fishermen in time, the pilot made the tough decision to turn the 251-metre ship around in restricted waters.

“Without hesitation, I turned the ship to the side where I had clearance,” Mr Bhamaria said.

“The two biggest issues were maintaining sight of the two men while we turned the ship around and then approached them safely—a huge ship arriving alongside a piece of wood with two men holding on, poses quite a risk to their safety.

“We couldn’t stop the ship near the survivors—the ship’s propeller would have posed too great a risk to the two men and the reef just behind them.

“On the first turn, we dropped a smoke marker with a lifebuoy as close as 20 metres from the survivors.

“The fishermen were then able to cling to the buoy, while the smoke helped the approaching rescue craft home in on the location of the survivors. Meanwhile the movement of the ship in the water deterred the sharks away from the men.

“Then we circled again, keeping the reef behind us, this time with the intention of picking them up.  I manoeuvred the ship to within a distance of 1–1.5 meters of the survivors floating on the wooden plank, dropping the speed of the ship to a bare minimum—about two knots with the propellers stopped. We managed to get the uncle out of the water first. But by the time we were trying to get his nephew out, the rescue helicopter arrived, so we lowered him back into the water, so the helicopter could retrieve him safely.”

 

It was a harrowing ordeal for the survivors, but ultimately Captain Bhamaria’s quick-thinking and brave actions saved the lives of the two men.

These actions have now earned him a prestigious Certificate of Commendation from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of their Exceptional Bravery at Sea Award.

The Exceptional Bravery at Sea Award provides international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform the acts of exceptional bravery and display outstanding courage. Without Captain Bhamaria’s decision making and exceptional navigation skills, these two fishermen would have endured an entirely different outcome. 

AMSA Chief Executive Officer Mick Kinley said international recognition of this level of bravery from one of Australia’s marine pilots is a significant accomplishment.

“Captain Bhamaria and the ship’s crew displayed outstanding seamanship, coming together to the aid of others,” Mr Kinley said.

“The knowledge and expertise of our marine pilots is key to the safe arrival and passage of ships bringing supplies and trade with Australia. But in this instance, Captain Bhamaria’s knowledge of the surrounding area and quick thinking allowed him to make decisions that enabled the rescue of the two men.’

“Captain Bhamaria is certainly deserving of this accolade from the IMO for his exceptional bravery.”

Humbled and thankful for the honour, Captain Bhamaria was quick to share his commendation with the wider piloting community of Australia and the master and crew of the MT Godam.

“I am grateful and appreciative that AMSA nominated me for the award,” he said.  “However, any pilot would have done the same thing, so this recognition is for the whole Australian piloting community.

“Many thanks to the master and crew of MT Godam, Reef VTS, AMSA and the shore Rescue team, because it was an all-round team effort,” he said.

The IMO Awards ceremony will take place virtually from IMO Headquarters in London on Monday 6 December

Join the conversation...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
LV
Louis Vest Houston Pilots, USA
on 17 September 2021, 17:22 UTC

BZ
0

Read more...

Article Pilot transfer arrangements by AMSA

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 18 November 2019

This notice reminds shipowners, operators, masters, crews, recognised organisations, marine pilots and pilotage providers of the obligation to provide safe pilot transfer arrangements.

0

Article AMSA has published the first marine incident annual report

published on 20 October 2020

AMS has released the annual report of marine incidents reported from regulated Australian and foreign flagged vessels in Australian waters. It includes an analysis of reported marine incidents during 2016 to 2019, with a focus on 2019 data.

0

Article Latest AMSA Notice Emphasises The Need For Safe Pilot Transfer Arrangements

published on 18 February 2022

AMSA notes with concern that since November 2017 several pilots’ lives have been placed at risk, in six separate incidents where man ropes have parted, or its securing point has failed. In addition, AMSA regularly receives reports and complaints about non-compliant pilot transfer arrangements

1

Video AIS Track CMA CGM MISSOURI grounding in Suez Canal on Oct. 14 2020

published on 16 October 2020

Container ship CMA CGM MISSOURI ran aground in Suez Canal while transiting in southern direction, at around 0930 UTC Oct 14. As of 1745 UTC, probably refloated or moved, several Suez Canal tugs attending. Traffic probably suspended, but it’s not confirmed. No information on what caused grounding.
Container ship CMA CGM MISSOURI, IMO 9679919, dwt 115600, capacity 9448 TEU, built 2016, flag Liberia.
Thanks to Marine Traffic and Nolan Dragon.

1

Article New library and favorites function on Marine-Pilots.com

published on 19 August 2021

Marine-Pilots.com has launched a new function for registered users today. From now you can tag articles and videos as favorites or sort them in personal libraries that can be created individually.

0

Video "Out of control"container ship prompts temporary closure of Ravenel Bridge; remains anchored outside

published on 10 June 2024

"Out of control" container ship prompts temporary closure of Ravenel Bridge; remains anchored outside Charleston Harbor

0

Article Captain Erik Dalege is new EMPA President

published on 28 May 2021

Such a function is also the result of hard work and at the same time an expression of high respect: Captain Erik Dalege (born 1962) is now the president of the umbrella organisation of European Pilots, EMPA for short (European Maritime Pilots Organisation).

2

Article Study: increasing competition in ports and the underlying pressure

published on 2 October 2021

A study of increasing competition in ports and the underlying pressure to improve port performance. This thesis is the final deliverable for the completion of the degree of Master of Science in Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics (TIL) at the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geo-sciences at the Delft University of Technology.

1

Video Discussing video: Pilot Transfer to Ship by Helicopter

published on 3 June 2020

Let us see how a maritime pilot is transferred by helicopter to a ship. In this video, we discuss briefly some procedures in a helicopter/ship operation for the transfer of pilots.

0

Video MAERSK: "We have made boarding safer for pilots on more than 100 ships"

published on 8 September 2022

Official Video by MAERSK:" In the past two years we have made boarding safer for maritime pilots on more than 100 ships."

1