Sunken ship rescue hero takes award

A Chinese rescue diver who saved three people from a sunken cargo ship in a series of underwater dives was awarded with the 2018 International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea at a ceremony in London on Thursday.

Zhong Haifeng, a senior diver and deputy of the Engineering Team of Guangzhou Salvage, was nominated for the highest accolade by China for repeatedly diving into the dark and submerged cargo hold of the ship to bring out survivors.

The International Maritime Organization, also known as the IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. Its panel of judges agreed that "by personally exerting tireless efforts under highly dangerous circumstances, Zhong demonstrated truly exceptional bravery and human spirit".

Accepting the award at the IMO's headquarters in London, Zhong said the rescue was a team effort. "I cherish this great honor and will make persistent efforts in bringing more excellence into our diving skills and salvage techniques in our future work," he said.

"I will also continue to share my personal experience and expertise to more of my teammates to develop more strength of teamwork that knows no limits."

On the morning of Nov 27, 2017, a rescue operation was launched after the bulk carrier MV Jin Ze Lun sank when it collided with another ship in Guangzhou Port.

Two of the 14 crew members on board were rescued by local maritime authorities, but 12 remained stranded in the bulk carrier, lying on the seabed. Zhong was put in charge in the attempt to search for survivors. After 36 hours of diving, six crew members were found in the cargo hold.

Working against a strong current which made the search and rescue operation even more difficult, Zhong led his team to replenish oxygen to the cabin and taught survivors how to put on and use scuba diving equipment.

"I had a team member working alongside me underwater,"he said. "We communicated through gestures and worked closely together to teach those trapped underneath how to use scuba diving equipment in order to survive."

In just one hour, Zhong personally rescued three of the survivors and brought them to the surface despite suffering from exhaustion.

The IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea was established to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment.