Each day, men and women around the globe risk their lives to save mariners in distress. There is a famous saying in the U.S. Coast Guard: “You have to go out but you don’t have to come back.” The ocean is a hostile and unforgiving environment. When ships get into trouble it is often in a storm. Piloting a helicopter or motor lifeboat in those conditions is not for the faint of heart. Diving into the heaving seas and prepared to say good-bye to your loved ones at home in order to save a stranger. Men and women go to see every day to rescue mariners.

In the United States it is the Coast Guard. In Great Britain it is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and their Coastguard. In Greece it is the Hellenic Coast Guard. In France it is the Maritime Gendarmerie. We salute these unsung heroes and the seafarers on commercial vessels that go out of their way to save a fellow mariner.