Paignton man awarded Merchant Navy Medal for daring rescue at sea
A 24-year-old man from Paignton has become the youngest person to be awarded the Merchant Navy Medal for his heroism in helping to rescue three men drowning in rough seas.
Third Officer Max Bingle was serving on the Sea Princess cruise ship in the South Caribbean in July 2019 when the distress call came in.
Sea Princess was asked by the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Curaçao to go to the rescue of the men when they were forced to take to a life raft after their boat sank.
The ship - which had 2,000 guests on board - turned around and sailed 60 nautical miles to reach the stranded men.
Third Officer Bingle piloted a fast boat in the pitch dark, battling gale force winds to get to them.
Despite the boat becoming endangered during the mission, he persisted and, with the help of two other people, was able to save the lives of the sailors.
The three men were taken aboard Sea Princess and admitted to the ship's medical centre where they were all declared fit and well.
The ship was able to continue its cruise, only slightly delayed.
In announcing the award, Maritime Minister, Robert Courts says "It’s a special honour to award the medal to Max, its youngest ever recipient."
Max Bingle is one of 20 people to receive the Merchant Navy Award in 2020.
These celebrate the role of Merchant Navy seafarers and the contribution they make to the United Kingdom, as well as their service during wartime.
Max says, "This recognition is completely out of the blue. Everybody onboard acted in the highest maritime tradition by going to the aid of fellow sailors in peril on the sea.
"Saving lives is what we are trained to do as seafarers, and I’m grateful for this recognition."
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