The IMRF is pleased to announce the finalists for this year’s IMRF Awards, which recognise all those involved in maritime search and rescue (SAR) from around the world.

The finalists in the IMRF Awards 2022 are:

• Hendrik Jan Anne Spanjer (Maritime Academy Willem Barentsz, Netherlands)
• Rosie Musters (Coastguard New Zealand)
• Captain Isa Noah Amwe (Nigeria)
• Sarah Lundin (Canadian Coastguard)
• Chrissy Heu & Michael Cockburn (Jurien Bay Marine Rescue, Australia)
• Andrew Tate (RNLI, UK)
• John Millman (Canadian Coastguard)
• SOS Mediterranée R/S Ocean Viking SAR Team (France, Italy and Switzerland)
• NSRI Survival Swimming Centre (South Africa)
• Lifboat (Sweden)

IMRF CEO Theresa Crossley said, “I want to thank every individual and organisation who submitted a nomination for this year’s IMRF Awards. Our judging panel have had an incredibly tricky task selecting the finalists from an extraordinary field of candidates, all of whom were worthy of international recognition. This is a testament to the incredible efforts made by the maritime SAR community over the past 12 months, despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic. I am proud that the IMRF is acknowledging these fantastic examples of the very best that our sector has to offer.”

The judging panel for this year’s awards was led by former IMRF Chair Michael Vlasto. Michael was joined by Jared Blows, MRCC Chief at MRCC Cape Town in South Africa; Nigel Clifford, Deputy Director, Safety and Response Systems at Maritime New Zealand; and Julie-Anne Wood, Assistant Director, Policy, Standards & International at the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency.