Romanian ship commander, Bogdan Rusu, aged 38, will be proposed for the “Bravery at Sea” award after he had saved the lives of four sailors who were in danger on board of a sailboat during a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico on September 13.
The rescue operation occurred about 68 miles west of Clearwater, on the U.S. Coast in the Gulf of Mexico, on Sunday, September 13, around 11:00 GMT, during the tropical storm Sally.
The Romanian commander has received an impressive message from the U.S Coast Guard.
“Saving a life at sea is a challenge, but saving four lives in a tropical storm is an extraordinary thing“, reads the message of the US Coast Guard.
According to CERONAV director, Ovidiu Cupsa, the four sailors were aboard the ‘Yes Dear’ sailboat when their ship started to sink in the middle of the storm. The US Coast Guard had abandoned the rescue operation by a HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter due to the bad weather. “Under these circumstances, the COSCO Malaysi ship, with young commander Bogdan Rusu at the helm has launched a rescue operation of the four sailors in danger of dying, disembarking them safely in Tampa Bay Port”, said Cupsa.