According to a recent publication by the United Seamen’s Service, Crowley mariners were celebrated at the 2025 Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards for their remarkable bravery and crisis management skills that not only saved lives but also averted potential environmental disasters.
The crew aboard the tanker Stena Immaculate received the AOTOS Special Recognition Plaque following their heroic response to a severe collision in March. While anchored about 14 nautical miles northeast of Spurn Head near England’s Humber Estuary, they faced an emergency when the Portuguese-flagged containership Solong, traveling at 16 knots, collided with them.
This unfortunate incident resulted in a rupture of Stena Immaculate’s No. 7 port cargo tank, leading to an aviation fuel spill and subsequent fire that threatened both vessels. Despite these dire circumstances, the crew managed to control the blaze and protect over 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel while ensuring all 23 crew members remained safe.
The collision had tragic consequences; it claimed the life of Mark Pernia, an able seaman from Solong who was present during impact and is still unaccounted for. The captain of Solong, Vladimir Motin, now faces charges related to gross negligence manslaughter as investigations continue across multiple jurisdictions including those in Portugal and the UK.
A report from the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch highlighted poor visibility conditions ranging from just a quarter mile up to two miles at that time-compounding factors such as lack of dedicated lookout personnel on either vessel’s bridge.
In another commendable act recognized during this event, Crowley’s vessel El Coquí was awarded the AOTOS Mariner’s Plaque for Heroism after successfully rescuing four U.S. boaters whose sailing craft sank off northern Dominican Republic shores. Responding promptly to a request from U.S. Coast Guard officials, El Coquí altered its course from Jacksonville en route to San Juan and collaborated with nearby vessels including Bonanza to ensure safe transport for those stranded.
“We take immense pride in our crews aboard Stena Immaculate and El Coquí,” stated James C. Fowler, senior vice president and general manager at Crowley Shipping. “These awards reflect their exceptional courage and professionalism during critical moments-a true embodiment of our commitment towards safety within maritime operations.”
The AOTOS Awards have been honoring outstanding contributions within maritime sectors for over five decades now-recognizing individuals who have significantly advanced safety measures while protecting American seafarers’ interests.
Following March’s incident involving Stena Immaculate, it was sold by Stena Bulk in October; repairs are set to be conducted at Desan Shipyard after reflagging under Malta’s registry prior to transfer completion. In August this year alone saw approval granted by U.S Maritime Administration allowing CS Anthem into Tanker Security Program-joining other Crowley-managed vessels like Stena Imperative alongside Stena Impeccable already partaking therein.
