The Marina awarded a Bronze Medal of Merit to the Commander of Costa Cruises, Pietro Sinizio. The ceremony was held today in Rome, in the Main Command of the Port Authority Corps – Coast Guard, in the presence of the Commander-in-Chief, Chief Inspector Admiral Nicola Carlone.
The presentation of the medal by the commanding general, delegated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino, took place during a military ceremony held on the occasion of the 157th anniversary of the establishment of the Port Authority Corps. , which took place on July 20, 1865.
As stated in the motivation, the prestigious award was given because “on the occasion of the shipwreck of the motor ship Kilić, on which a fire broke out on such a scale that the ship’s systems could not control it, Commander Sinisi commanded the Costa Bright, she supported the rescue operations by demonstrating high skills and unusual seamanship, effectively contributing to the rescue of 11 crew members of a Turkish motor ship.
Despite particularly bad weather and sea conditions, she managed to maintain the safety of her passengers and carried out a timely intervention, a transparent result for the excellent success of the rescue operations. With his behavior, he contributed to giving prestige to the image of the Italian Navy in the institutional panorama”.
The rescue in question took place on November 21, 2018. Around midnight, the Costa Luminosa – sailing south of the Peloponnese, en route to the port of Katakolon – received a request for intervention from the Rescue Coordination Center of the Greek Coast Guard.
Commander Sinisi was asked to assist the motor ship “Kilić”, a cargo ship used to transport fresh fish, which was in serious trouble due to a fire on board. The eleven-man crew was rescued from the Costa Luminos tender, which was led by security officer Marco Genovese, and then transferred to another merchant ship that had previously taken part in Greek coast guard operations.
“I am really proud to have received such an important award, which proves once again that the priority at sea is always the protection of human lives” – said Commander Sinisi – “This honor belongs to teamwork, without which it would not have been possible to carry out the operation in those conditions rescues. In certain situations, it is essential for the commander to make the right decisions in the shortest possible time. But it is even more important that he can count on a close-knit and competent team. , which supports in decisions and allows you to reach the goal”.