Captain Gaetano Gigliotti and the crew of the cruise ship Carnival Elation have been recognized with the Cruise Line Humanitarian Assistance Award from the Association for Rescue at Sea (AFRAS), an organization whose mission is to provide worldwide support and assistance to volunteer maritime rescue services and recognize and honor extraordinary maritime rescues.
Presented during AFRAS’ annual reception in Washington, DC, the award honors Captain Gigliotti and his team for their incredible bravery in the rescue of a stranded fishing boat in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Irma last year. In addition to the AFRAS Award, Captain Gigliotti was presented with a framed copy of the entry into the Congressional Record by Florida Congresswoman Federica Wilson commending the life-saving actions of the captain and his team.
Captain Gigliotti getting honored in Washington D.C.
The rescued mariner, Edward Potter of Tampa, Fla., was reunited at the ceremony with Captain Gigliotti in a poignant and heartfelt meeting of the two seamen.
“Words are not enough to express our immense pride and gratitude for Captain Gigliotti and the entire Carnival Elation team for placing their own lives at risk to save the life of another,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This rescue is a shining example of true heroism and we are honored that AFRAS has recognized Captain Gigliotti and the Carnival Elation team with this prestigious award.”
“Cruise ships diverting from their course and helping others is in keeping with the best of maritime traditions and shows how the oceans unite us all,” said Dana A. Goward, AFRAS Chairman.
While undergoing a scheduled dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas, Carnival Elation began monitoring a storm off the coast of Africa that quickly developed into a major Category 5 hurricane. When it became clear that the storm’s path was projected directly over the Bahamas, the decision was made to move the 70,000-ton ship and seek shelter in the Gulf of Mexico..
As Hurricane Irma grew, it became obvious that the storm’s path would take her directly over the Bahamas, which was where Elation’s drydock was unfolding. As a result, the decision was made to move the ship to the Gulf of Mexico. And it was while sailing to the place where she would ride out the storm that the ship received a relayed distress message from the Coast Guard informing them that a fishing boat, the Captain Eddie, was in major distress about 60 nautical miles to their east.
With the crew in dire need of assistance, Elation’s captain and his crew set out to assist in the rescue despite treacherous conditions which included 20-foot waves and winds of up to 60 knots… all without the assistance of their normal bridge systems and communication equipment thanks to the in-progress drydock. Worse, the Elation soon was told that the Coast Guard would be unable to provide helicopter assistance due to the dangerous winds.
Upon arriving at the stranded boat’s location, Captain Gigliotti determined it was too dangerous for the Elation to use a rescue boat to save the stranded fishermen. Instead, he maneuvered his ship closer to the life raft so that his crew could pull the stranded fishermen to safety via an open shell door in the Elation’s hull.
The Saga’s Tragic Twist
CARNIVAL ELATION DOCKED IN NASSAU, BAHAMAS.
While Captain Gigliotti and his crew managed to rescue Edward Potter of Tampa, Florida, his fellow crew member — who had refused to abandon ship — was lost at sea when the Captain Eddie sank. Potter was cared for by the Elation’s crew, who helped coordinate his return to the states once the dangerous storm had passed. At the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Captain Gigliotti shared an emotional reunion with the man he and his crew had pulled from the life raft that unforgettable day.
AFRAS Chairman Dana A. Goward said, “Cruise ships diverting from their course and helping others is in keeping with the best of maritime traditions and shows how the oceans unite us all.”
Added Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, “Words are not enough to express our immense pride and gratitude for Captain Gigliotti and the entire Carnival Elation team for placing their own lives at risk to save the life of another.”
While the most traumatic experience most cruisers will experience during their vacations is running out of sunscreen or sleeping through a dinner reservation, we should all take comfort in knowing that should a crisis arise, we are in the hands of men and women who have proven time and again that they are up to any challenge presented on the high seas.
