IMRF announces nomination shortlist for the IMRF Awards 2024

The IMRF is excited to announce the shortlist for this year’s IMRF Awards for search-and-rescue (SAR) personnel from around the world. These awards, now in their 10^th year, shine a spotlight on individuals and organisations that have excelled in their field, developed innovative technology and equipment, or served as inspiring role models within the SAR community.

This year's judging panel reviewed an outstanding selection of nominations from across the globe, each highlighting extraordinary accomplishments by the maritime SAR community over the past year.

The nominated shortlist for the 2024 IMRF Awards across our five categories open for nominations is:

Agence Portuaire Maritime et Fluviale, Madagascar
Augmented Reality & Mixed Reality Training Environment for SAR, Reval Safety Training, Estonia
Cleeve Robertson, NSRI, South Africa
Corps of Volunteer Rescue Boats, Valparaiso, Chile
Holly Phillips, RNLI, United Kingdom (retired)
Laura Shearer, Ascension Island Sea and Land Rescue, Ascension Island
Marine Rescue NSW App, Marine Rescue NSW, Australia
Rob Carpenter, Coastguard Tautiaki Moana, New Zealand
Shee Kupi Shee, Director Disaster Risk Management, Lamu County, Kenya
Captain Yang Hao, China Rescue and Salvage, China

This year’s IMRF Awards winners, including the announcement of the first-ever IMRF Patron’s Award winner, will be announced on 8 November. In addition, the winner of the annual People’s Choice Award will be announced on 27 November at the IMRF’s Annual Meeting in Greece. The Patron’s Award will not be part of the People’s Choice Award.

The judging panel, chaired by former IMRF Chair Michael Vlasto, included Nigel Clifford, former Chair of the IMO NCSR and former Deputy Chief Executive of Safety and Response Services at Maritime New Zealand; Julie-Anne Wood, Assistant Director of Policy, Standards & International at the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency; Clay Evans, maritime historian, former Canadian Coastguard lifeboat coxswain, and IMRF Trustee; Jerzy Kiszczak, Deputy Director at Maritime Search and Rescue Service, Poland; and Herbert Meth, Head of the Ascension Island Sea and Land Rescue Service.

IMRF CEO Caroline Jupe stated, “I would like to sincerely thank all the individuals and SAR organisations who submitted nominations for this year's IMRF Awards. The nominations reflect the dedication and resilience of the maritime SAR community. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of our expert judging panel in selecting finalists from such an impressive pool of candidates, each of whom truly deserves international recognition.”

The IMRF also extends its gratitude to this year’s award sponsors for their continued support: Hamilton Jet, the sponsor of the #WomenInSAR Award, and Inmarsat Maritime, the sponsor of the Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime Achievement.

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