Heroic survivor of piracy attack wins UN award for bravery at sea

A ship captain who kept his crew and vessel safe despite suffering an attack from Somali pirates that nearly cost him his life will receive a prestigious annual award for bravery at sea, the United Nations maritime agency announced today.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said its Council had endorsed the decision of a panel of judges to grant the 2011 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea to Seog Hae-gyun, saying he had “displayed truly extraordinary bravery and concern for his crew” that went “far beyond the call of duty, at great risk and danger to himself.”

Captain Seog, from the Republic of Korea, was master of the chemical tanker Samho Jewelry when it was hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia in January, according to a press release issued by IMO.

With the pirates aboard the ship, Captain Seog steered the vessel away from the coast, watered down the fuel to prevent combustion, pretended the steering gear was not working properly and reduced the speed of the vessel.

Captain Seog also managed to surreptitiously communicate information about the attack to naval forces, which led to a successful raid by military commandos from the Republic of Korea and the rescue of all 21 crew members.

The captain suffered numerous assaults from the pirates during the hijacking, and fractured his legs and shoulders. He was later shot twice in the abdomen and once in the upper thigh, requiring several operations and almost costing him his life.

IMO's Council, which has been meeting at the agency's headquarters in London, agreed that special certificates should also be awarded to the maritime rescue coordination centres of Falmouth in the United Kingdom and Stavanger in Norway for their contribution to search and rescue operations taking place far away from their respective zones.

IMO also announced that its Council had unanimously agreed to award the International Maritime Prize for 2010 posthumously to Lindy Johnson of the United States for her contribution to the work of the agency, especially regarding the protection of the marine environment.