Capt. Ely C. Sinoy reaps international recognition for the bravery he and his crew exhibited in rescuing two Italian crew members from their skinking sea craft.

Capt. Ely, Master of M/V “Daio Azalea” received a letter of

commendation from Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Koji Seklimizu and was awarded by the IMO Council during the 2012 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea which convened last June in London.

In a statement, Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo, Philippine Permanent Representative to IMO, said “The recognition given to Capt. Sinoy and his crew once again demonstrate that Filipino seafarers are not only world-class but are also willing to risk their lives to rescue victims of maritime accidents.”

It was early Wednesday morning May 11, 2011, when U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel received notification from rescue authorities in Rome that the catamaran “Stella Cometa” suffered a broken mast and was taking on water 900 miles east of Boston, USA.

The Coast Guard personnel alerted Panamanian flagged ship “Daio Azalea” that was sailing then 28 miles from the stricken sailboat.

Arriving at the scene at dusk, Capt. Ely and his crew discovered that the sailing vessel had already sunk and the two crew members of “Stella Cometa” were adrift in a life boat amidst strong gale wind force 9 with very rough seas.

Finding the two Italian sailors adrift in a life raft, the crew of M/V “Daio Azalea” immediately began operation. During the rescue, one of the sailors suffered minor head injury that rendered him immobile for sometime.After almost four hours, M/V “Daio Azalea” successfully rescued the two Italian yachtsmen.

Capt. Ely C. Sinoy is the fourth recipient of the IMO Award for

Exceptional Bravery at Sea in recent years.