IMRF Awards – Previous Winners

Celebrating the individuals, teams and innovations that have shaped maritime search and rescue around the world.

The IMRF Awards acknowledge the dedication, ingenuity and selflessness of the maritime search and rescue community. Since 2016, the awards have recognised outstanding individuals, teams and innovations from across the world, highlighting the extraordinary efforts being made every day to save lives on, in and around the world’s waters.

Below you can explore our most recent winners before browsing the full archive of previous IMRF Award recipients.

2025 IMRF Award Winners

Meet the latest winners recognised by the international maritime SAR community.

Previous Winners Archive

2024 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionShee Kupi Shee, Director of Disaster Risk Management, Lamu, Kenya
• Outstanding Team ContributionThe Corps of Volunteer Rescue Boats, Valparaiso, Chile
• Innovation & TechnologyAugmented Reality & Mixed Reality Training Environment for SAR, Reval Safety Training, Estonia
• #WomenInSAR AwardHolly Phillips, RNLI, United Kingdom
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementCleeve Robertson, NSRI, South Africa
• Patron’s AwardCaptain Yang Hao, China Rescue and Salvage

2023 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionHenry Ategeka, Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda
• Outstanding Team ContributionRamsgate RNLI Lifeboat Station, RNLI, United Kingdom
• #WomenInSAR AwardAmber Sheasgreen, Royal Canadian Maritime Search and Rescue (RCMSAR), Canada
• Innovation & TechnologyInmarsat Maritime Safety Team, United Kingdom
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementGeoffrey Denman, Canadian Coast Guard, Canada, and Anders Bagge, Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS), Sweden (posthumous)
• People’s Choice AwardAnders Bagge, Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS), Sweden (posthumous)

2022 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionRosie Musters, Coastguard New Zealand
• Outstanding Team ContributionSAR Team R/V Ocean Viking, SOS Méditerranée
• #WomenInSAR AwardAndrew Tate, RNLI
• Innovation & TechnologyNSRI’s Survival Swimming Centre
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementHendrik Spanjer, Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz and KNRM
• People’s Choice AwardCaptain Isa Noah Amwe, RMRCC Lagos, Nigeria

2021 Winners

• Outstanding Individual ContributionCaptain Chen Jian
• Outstanding Team ContributionCoastguard Nelson
• #WomenInSAR AwardAnna Bertrandsson Littke & Krista Lynn Elvidge
• Innovation & TechnologyJetRIB
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementPatrick van Eyssen
• People’s Choice AwardPatrick van Eyssen

2019 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionCapt Huang Zhibin
• Outstanding Team ContributionMarine Rescue Port Macquarie
• #WomenInSAR AwardIsobel Tugwell
• Innovation & TechnologyPhillip Hanson, MCA
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementArthur Allen
• People’s Choice AwardDavid Jardine Smith

2018 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionCaptain Siddarth Sharma
• Outstanding Team ContributionKNRM Station Terschelling Paal 8
• Innovation & TechnologyPink Rescue Buoy, NSRI
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementJohannes Kooijman & Captain Nikifor Guerchev
• People’s Choice AwardCanadian Coast Guard Rescue Specialists

2017 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionAnton Tasanen
• Outstanding Team ContributionMOAS (the Migrant Offshore Aid Station)
• Innovation & TechnologyRNLI Future Leaders Project Team 2016
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementAssociation of Maritime and River Rescue in Uruguay (ADES)

2016 Winners →

• Outstanding Individual ContributionCaptain Herve Lepage
• Outstanding Team ContributionProactiva Open Arms
• Innovation & TechnologyJames Benson, RNLI, and Bournemouth University
• Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime AchievementMohammed Drissi