An Indian master who spotted and rescued two drifting French fishermen is in line for a top bravery award.
Captain Siddarth Sharma is one of two nominees for the International Maritime Rescue Federation's (IMRF) individual award for 2018.
His 1,900-gt integrated tug-barge Astal-Lorida (built 1977), operated by Trinitas Ship Management, was en route from New Orleans to be scrapped in Gadani, Pakistan.
Meanwhile, two French mariners had been drifting for three days on a sinking fishing boat.
Sharma saw them from the bridge of his vessel when they were 2.5km away and immediately diverted his ship to rescue them.
He is up against Alexander Menzel from Surf Life Rescue in Germany, which was set up with a group of friends to cover the entire scope of water rescue in 2015.
The organisation has grown to more than 350 members across Europe and in 2017 alone handled more than 170 rescue missions.
IMRF CEO Theresa Crossley said: "The nominations have been submitted from all over the world and the judges' selection highlights just some of the incredible actions, expertise and skills shown by those involved in saving lives at sea."
The two organisations shortlisted in the team category are the Canadian Coast Guard Volunteer Rescue Specialists, and the KNRM Station Terschelling Paal 8, from Friesland, Netherlands.
The Canadian team has provided direct medical assistance to many in need in the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.
The KNRM station has been recognised for its actions in two SAR (search and rescue) operations conducted in extreme weather conditions last year.
The first was when they rescued four people from a guard vessel drifting without any power and the second for their involvement in a rescue of a stranded fishing vessel in treacherous icy conditions.
The innovation and technology nominees are RescueNET, a new secure web-based safety service from Inmarsat, which is provided free to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres worldwide to reduce response time and improve SAR communications; and the Pink Rescue Buoy, an emergency flotation device which can be thrown to someone in danger of drowning, developed by the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa.
Lifetime achievement award
Two "exceptional individuals" have been shortlisted for the IMRF Vladimir Maksimov Award for lifetime achievement in the SAR sector.
John Kooijman founded CITRO (Curacao Sea Rescue Organisation) in 1965.
Relying on seaplanes and yacht owners until 2001, he has built a close working relationship with the KNRM (Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Organisation).
CITRO now has over 40 volunteers, fundraising, marketing and PR support teams, a technical team and many sea-going volunteers, plus two professional sea rescue vessels and a 24/7 response service, plus a signed MOU agreement with the coastguard.
The other shortlisted individual is Captain Nick Guerchev, chairman and founder of BULSAR, the Bulgarian national volunteer maritime safety society.
He's been involved in maritime safety since the age of 14, when he joined the maritime section of the governmental voluntary organisation for defence.
A career in the Navy and Merchant Navy followed, where he specialised in SAR, salvage and communications. Personally, he has been involved in SAR operations associated with more than 25 major maritime disasters and has contributed to the saving of more than 250 lives at sea.
The winners will be announced at a dinner on 8 November at the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue training centre near Horten in Norway.
The lead sponsor for the awards is Orolia Maritime.
