Crew members on the tug Pocomoke have been recognized with an Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award from the American Waterways Operators (AWO) for actions taken in response to a “mayday” call.

The Pocomoke was sailing between Mayaguez and Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on the morning of July 17 when Captain Robert Walsh heard a call for help via VHF radio. A 20-foot Mako powerboat was apparently experiencing engine and bilge pump issues.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan requested assistance from any vessels in the area. Realizing that the powerboat’s reported position was less than 20 minutes away, Captain Walsh notified both the vessel and the Coast Guard that the Pocomoke was en route.

While proceeding to the scene, Captain Walsh awakened Mate Justin Gathard and had Chief Engineer Laurence “Phil” Gebhardt prepare the tug’s portable dewatering pump by moving it to the main deck and priming it.

A Policia Puerto Rico patrol boat arrived on scene a few minutes before the tug. But the patrol boat declined to pass lines to the powerboat, believing the sea state of 3 to 4 feet to be too rough for taking the powerboat under tow.

Arriving to find that the powerboat’s transom was nearly underwater, the Pocomoke crew quickly brought aboard the disabled vessel’s three passengers, all of whom were uninjured, and deployed a suction line from the portable dewatering pump. The powerboat was secured to the tug within 25 minutes of the initial “mayday” call.

“It was fortunate that we were so close to the vessel-in-distress when the ‘mayday’ alert was broadcast; the vessel was close to capsizing by the time we got on scene,” says Captain Walsh. “It seemed like a very tense time on our way to assist them, but when we arrived everything went like clockwork. Thanks to the competence of my tug crew, we were able to get the people off the vessel-in-distress very quickly, as well as stabilize the vessel by deploying our emergency pump and securing the vessel alongside of us.”

The 4,200-horsepower tug held the disabled vessel securely for approximately two hours, during which time the seas calmed. Another vessel finally arrived to tow the powerboat to port. Only then did the Pocomoke proceed toward Guayanilla.

The AWO, which serves as the national tug, towboat and barge advocacy group, announced the HERO Award during an August meeting of the AWO Coastal and Interregion Safety Committees in St. Louis, Missouri. Accepting the award on behalf of the tug Pocomoke crew was Jim Peschel, who is Vane Brothers’ HSE Manager, West Coast, and also the Coastal Safety Committee Chair for the AWO’s Safety Leadership Advisory Panel.

PHOTO CAPTION: A disabled vessel is secured to the tug POCOMOKE during a rescue operation in Puerto Rico, earning the tug crew an AWO HERO Award.