The American Waterways Operators advocacy organization has honored Crowley Maritime mariners with the American Waterways Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award for their rescue efforts this year, the company announced Sept. 24.
Among the heroic efforts that were recognized included Crowley’s Guard tug crew members who retrieved a man who was knocked off his sailboat off Anacortes, Wash. in April, and crew members of the tug Apollo who helped a ship in the San Francisco Bay alert first responders in June after a passenger fell into the water.
Apollo was on site until the person was safe, according to the company.
“In the moment that our mariners respond to save a life, they don’t stop to think about how heroic their actions will be,” Crowley Shipping Senior Vice President and General Manager James C. Fowler said. “They immediately respond because protecting life is in their DNA..”
AWO created the HERO award in 2023 to spotlight the heroism of those in the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry.
“AWO is proud to issue these well-deserved awards to the crews of the Apollo and the Guard. Their actions exemplify the dedication to safety and the everyday bravery of our industry’s men and women,” organization Director of Safety and Sustainability Michael Breslin said. “Our waterways are a safer place because of them.”
