MOL Receives Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award, 26 September 2011

News Release Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (Head Office) September 26, 2011

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TOKYO—Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto)
today announced that the
company has received the 2011 Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award
presented by Lloyd’s
List, the newspaper covering the global shipping industry.
The Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award praises seafarers for
rescue activities
demonstrating extraordinary courage and seamanship. This year’s
award honors the
MOL-owned woodchip carriers Hokuetsu Delight
and Crystal Pioneer, which rescued all
64 persons adrift from the sailing training ship
Concordia, which capsized in the Atlantic
Ocean 550km southeast of Rio de Janeiro.
The 57-meter Concordia, operated as a floating
school, encountered fierce winds on
February 17 and capsized around 8:00 p.m. that night, with the
crew and trainees, high
school and university students, abandoning the ship.
Search and rescue activities took place from the night of the
incident until the morning of
the 19th. Despite high winds, choppy seas, and limited predawn
visibility, the two
woodchip carriers searched for and located the shipwreck
survivors. The task was all the
more difficult considering that the huge wood chip carriers are
easily affected by winds
and difficult to maneuver. However, the highly skilled officers
and crew members
completed the rescue operations without any secondary injuries or
damage.
On September 20, Mitsui O.S.K. Bulk Shipping (Europe) Ltd.
Managing Director Mitsuhiro
Iwata and other executives attended the awards ceremony held at
the Hilton Hotel in
London.
At the awards ceremony, one judge commented, “The operation to
save such a large group of
student sailors was a deeply impressive display of skill and
bravery by all involved. The actions
of the Crystal Pioneer and Hokuetsu Delight
offered a perfect display of international cooperation
and a shining example of best practices.”
[Hokuetsu Delight]
Capacity: 40,259 dwt
Length: 199.91m
Crew: 22 Filipino
[Crystal Pioneer]
Capacity: 49,720 dwt
Length: 209.99m
Crew: 23 Filipino</DIV></BODY></HTML>