Indian woman wins top bravery award for dramatic sea rescue

After their engine failed and their anchor was lost off the coast of India's Andhra Pradesh state in June last year, the men were left stranded in dangerous waters.

They drifted helplessly for a week in the Bay of Bengal until an oil tanker under the command of Capt Menon came to their rescue.

Her efforts have now been recognised with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, handed out in London on Monday.

Not only is Capt Menon the first female captain in the Indian Merchant Navy, but she is the only woman to have won the award, which recognises those who risk their own lives to save others at sea.

As waves rose to 9m and wind speed reached 60-70 knots, she commanded a rescue operation last June that required three attempts to get the fishermen onboard the massive tanker via a pilot ladder from their small boat.

(BBC)