Horizon Lines, Inc., received the AMVER-Assisted Rescue at Sea Award for the
courage and seamanship of the Horizon Falcon crew. AMVER Program Director
Captain Christopher Hall presented the award to the Horizon Falcon's Captain
Tom McDorr at the 2008 Lloyd's List London Awards on April 2nd.
Captain McDorr and the crew of the Horizon Falcon, one of the vessels in the
Horizon Lines fleet, courageously assisted in the rescue of Chinese
crewmembers of the Panamanian-flagged ship, HAI TONG No. 7, after it sank in
typhoon-heavy seas 300 nautical miles northwest of Guam last July.
Over 450 guests from the international maritime community attended the
dinner. Kyle Hurst, Market Manager of Inmarsat, a leading provider of
global mobile satellite communications, sponsored the AMVER award. The
keynote speaker was former UK Shipping Minister Stephen Ladyman, who
stressed the importance of public awareness of the maritime industry.
The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), sponsored by
the U.S. Coast Guard, is a unique, computer-based voluntary global ship
reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange
for assistance to persons in distress at sea. Horizon Lines has
participated in AMVER since the rescue system's establishment in 1958, and
all 21 of the company's vessels are enrolled.