Parker Towing Crewmen Honored For Rescue
Two crewmen of the mv. San D, an 800 hp. towboat owned by Parker Towing Company, Tuscaloosa, Ala., were recognized recently for rescuing the occupants of a jon boat that swamped near Pinto Island, Mobile. Pilot Nick Verdugo and deckhand Darius Thomas received The American Waterways HERO Award for their actions.
Earlier this summer, the two rivermen spied a 12-foot aluminum jon boat with four people aboard that had taken on water near the container terminal at Pinto Island, the citation said. When a heavy chop in the river caused the boat to swamp, Verdugo hit the general alarm and immediately fired up the engine to assist. He then radioed the mv. Silver Star, another towboat nearby, and reported people in the water.
When Verdugo and Thomas got there, there were two children hanging on to the top of the jon boat and two adults holding on to the sides. Throwing them a life ring, Thomas was able to haul them in. The children were under age 5, it was reported.
The Parker Towing crewmen transferred the individuals to the Safety Star, where they were dried off and warmed. They retrieved the jon boat as well as other drifting items.
The award, The American Waterways Honor & Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award, was established by AWO in March to recognize the heroism of the men and women of the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, whose actions prevent harm and save lives on the water every day.
Parker Towing Company is one of the largest family-owned barge lines in the United States, operating a fleet of towboats, more than 400 open and covered hopper barges as well as a fleet of 30,000-barrel tank barges. In addition to the barging operations, Parker Towing Company also operates terminals for loading and unloading barges at several locations in Alabama and Tennessee. These terminals handle a broad range of dry and liquid cargo commodities and provide an intermodal link between barges, trucks and rail.
Caption for photo: Deckhand Darius Thomas and Pilot Nick Verdugo received the AWO HERO Award for rescuing boaters near Mobile, Ala., earlier this year. (Photo courtesy of Parker Towing)
