SAL's MV "Annemieke" has been selected for the Indian Coast Guard Search and Rescue Award 2009. The award was presented by the chairman of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board during the 9th NMSAR board meeting in New Delhi.
On 17 December 2009, Capt Klaus Lang and his crew rescued 13 Indian seafarers from their drifting life raft. 120km from the Indian coast, Capt Lang received a distress call of a listing Dhau. Actually being on her way to Malaysia, MV Annemieke turned back as she was only 40min away from the vessel. On arrival, the SAL crew first were asked for a pump, which was brought over to the Dhau. When the pump turned out to be of no use on the leaking Dhau, the Indian crew stepped into a life raft, which began to drift out fast into the open sea. Due to darkness and haste, it hadn't been fastened to the Dhau. Finally - six hours after the emergency call - MV Annemieke were able to take the 13 seamen on board.
