Australian pilot, Captain Ritesh Bhamariya, has been awarded a prestigious IMO Certificate of Commendation as part of the “Exceptional Bravery at Sea” award for rescuing individuals in extremely challenging navigational conditions. The story was highlighted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which nominated Captain Bhamariya for the award. In December 2020, Captain Bhamariya navigated the oil tanker MT Godam through the Torres Strait under severe weather conditions. The area is notorious for its labyrinth of reefs and islands, making the local waters extremely hazardous for navigation.
At one point, the crew spotted people overboard, calling for help. Two local fishermen had clung to the wreckage of their capsized boat for nearly 17 hours without a distress beacon or any other safety equipment. By the time they were seen from the tanker, a school of sharks was already circling nearby.
Without hesitation, Captain Bhamariya, the pilot, and the crew launched a rescue operation. Deploying a lifeboat in the storm posed serious risks to the crew and could have delayed the rescue. Instead, the pilot made the difficult decision to turn the 251-meter tanker amidst stormy waters and the surrounding reefs.
Two major challenges arose: keeping sight of the exhausted fishermen while maneuvering the massive vessel, and approaching them as safely as possible. The tanker’s propeller posed a deadly risk to anyone clinging to the small wooden boat wreckage, and a reef lay directly behind the fishermen, adding to the danger.
The crew did their utmost to keep the survivors in view, losing and regaining sight of them three times. On the first turn, the team deployed a floating smoke flare and a life ring 20 meters from the victims. This allowed the fishermen to hold onto the ring, while the smoke helped the approaching rescue vessel locate them. Meanwhile, the tanker’s movement kept predators away from the people in the water.
Captain Bhamariya then maneuvered the tanker a second time to bring the survivors aboard. The enormous vessel, responding to his commands, carefully navigated between the fishermen and the reef, coming within 1–1.5 meters of the survivors and reducing speed to a minimum of two knots with the propellers stopped. The crew successfully rescued one person from the water. As they attempted to retrieve the second, a rescue helicopter arrived. Both fishermen were lowered back into the water so that trained rescuers could lift them aboard safely.
The ordeal was grueling for the fishermen, but thanks to the pilot’s skill, decisive decisions, and the coordinated efforts of the MT Godam crew, two lives were saved. Captain Bhamariya’s courageous actions earned him the prestigious IMO Certificate of Commendation for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. The award ceremony will take place on December 6 at the IMO Headquarters in London.
The “Exceptional Bravery at Sea” award is an international recognition of individuals who demonstrate outstanding courage while risking their own lives. As AMSA noted, without Captain Bhamariya’s decision-making, extraordinary professional skills, and navigational expertise, the outcome for the two fishermen could have been very different. This recognition is a significant achievement for one of Australia’s maritime pilots.
In his characteristic humility, Ritesh Bhamariya stated that anyone in his position would have done the same. The rescue of the two fishermen, he emphasized, was the result of the coordinated teamwork of the MT Godam crew, Reef VTS, AMSA, and the coastal rescue service.
