JUNEAU, Alaska – Capt. Finn Jorgenson and the crew of the tug Tor Viking II were honored by the U.S. Coast Guard in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday for their assistance in rescuing the cargo vessel Golden Seas in the Bering Sea in December 2010.
Capt. John Kenyon, commanding officer U.S. Coast Guard Activities Europe, presented Jorgenson and his crew with the Meritorious Public Service Award on behalf of Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo, commander Coast Guard District 17.
The 738-foot Liberian-flagged cargo vessel Golden Seas was en route from British Columbia to the United Arab Emirates, carrying 60 metric tons of rapeseed to make canola oil with a fuel load of 450,000 gallons of crude oil and 11,700 gallons of diesel fuel, when the ship lost propulsion in the Bering Sea 350 miles west of Dutch Harbor in 20 foot seas and 50 mph winds.
The captain and crew of the Tor Viking II responded to the Coast Guard’s call for help and undertook a grueling 28-hour transit in order to reach the disabled vessel and tow it to safety, preventing a potential environmental disaster in an extremely sensitive area.
The Coast Guard greatly appreciates the crew’s selfless actions that went above and beyond the call of duty.
