Six Police officers who exhibited great courage in the rescue efforts of the RSS Courageous under extremely trying conditions, will be awarded the Police Medal of Valour at the National Day Awards Investiture on 5 November.

The team of 39 officers involved in the rescue efforts had received a team award - the Minister for Home Affairs Awards for Operational Excellence - on 3 April 2003.

In view of the heroism displayed by the six officers in difficult sea conditions, with great risk to personal safety, to save lives, it has now been decided that the six officers who showed extreme bravery and devotion to duty in the rescue efforts deserve special recognition. They will also be awarded the Police Medal of Valour. They are:

DSP1 Stephen Tan Wee Wah;

SSS Mohd Ramli Bin Mohd Shariff;

Sgt Darren Lee Swee Keng;

Sgt Mohd Faizal Bin Ali;

Cpl (NS) Don Teo Seng Guan; and

Cpl (NS) Sukiman Bin Isnin.

A write-up on the officers are in Annex. They will receive the Medal from the President at this year’s National Day Awards Investiture.

Officer-in-charge, PH50, Hammerhead Shark

The Hammerhead Shark played a critical role in the rescue of the RSS Courageous. DSP Tan Wee Wah, as the Officer-in-charge, held the lives of his crew in his hands as he made critical decisions in the rescue efforts.

DSP Tan showed great courage, strong leadership and a high degree of professionalism. In the face of very difficult sea conditions and high risks, he motivated and inspired his crew to effectively manage the delicate and dangerous rescue operations. Among the difficult split-second decisions he had to make was whether to proceed alongside the RSS Courageous which by then, was slightly tilting towards its port, had a collapsed mast and a shared stern with protruding edges. DSP Tan rose to the challenge of his responsibilities, including in situations where he had to choose between placing his men and ship at risk, and reducing the assistance to the crew of RSS Courageous. He also focused his crew’s rescue efforts in three main and urgent areas – keeping the RSS Courageous afloat to avoid more casualties, evacuating the casualties as soon as possible, and keeping a look out for any who might have been thrown overboard with the impact of the collision. Through his strong leadership, he galvanised his crew to carry out the rescue mission successfully.

With his inspiring leadership, great courage and care for the lives of all involved, DSP Tan steered the Hammerhead Shark crew to help save precious lives under extremely trying sea conditions.

SSS Mohd Ramli, currently the Coxswain of Hammerhead Shark, played a pivotal role in helping to manage the morale of the crew on board the RSS Courageous.

Assessing early on in the operation that the presence of Police Coast Guard (PCG) officers on board the RSS Courageous to assist in damage control would have a stablising impact on the morale of RSN crew, SSS Ramli led two other officers to board the vessel with him. While there supervising and helping in the damage control efforts, he took action to have a PCG officer relieve an injured RSN crew from bailing water from the flooding compartments. He too helped in the water-bailing efforts. Throughout the time he was on board, he also observed the morale of the RSN crew and the buoyancy of the vessel, and fed back the valuable observations to the Officer-in-charge of Hammerhead Shark as input to the latter’s critical operational decisions.

The courageous and considerate actions of SSS Ramli and his observations about the buoyancy of the RSS Courageous and the crew morale helped in critical decision-making during the rescue operation.

Sgt Darren Lee was instrumental in the rescue efforts of the RSS Courageous. He displayed through his ingenuity and persistence in getting equipment working to mitigate the flooding of compartments in the RSS Courageous.

Despite the report from the Police Coast Guard Command (POLCOM) that the RSS Courageous was in danger of sinking in 90 minutes, the visual assessment of the Hammerhead Shark crew was that it was not immediate. At risk to his personal safety, Sgt Lee went beyond the call of duty to go on board the RSS Courageous to help the navy officers operate the Robin Pump to pump water out of the flooding compartments. Sgt Lee did not stop there, but quickly went on to think of other ways of removing seawater from the vessel. Throughout the operation, he persisted and never gave up in trying to mitigate the problem of flooding compartments in the RSS Courageous.

Sgt Lee’s tenacity and creativity, even under such trying and life-threatening conditions, helped keep the operation buoyant.

Sgt Mohd Faizal, currently the Gunnery Yeoman of Hammerhead Shark, helped to keep the RSS Courageous buoyant by continuously bailing out water from the flooding compartments.

Volunteering to go on board the RSS Courageous to help keep up the morale of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) crew, Sgt Faizal immediately started bailing water from the flooding electrical room, without thought for his personal safety. The water level was then somewhere between his waist and chest level. He continued the physically strenuous operation till he was exhausted.

Through his actions, Sgt Faizal helped to keep up morale and played a part in mitigating the damage to the vessel.

Cpl (NS) Don Teo, a combat medic transferred to serve his national service in the PCG in 1995, gave medical aid to injured RSN crew and helped to evacuate a casualty back to Hammerhead Shark.

During the rescue efforts, Cpl (NS) Teo volunteered to board the RSS Courageous to attend to the casualties, without thinking twice of the possible danger to himself should the RSN vessel sink. He examined and reassured an injured crew with suspected head and spinal injuries. After applying first aid, Cpl(NS) Teo, with other officers, evacuated the casualty from the lower deck of the RSS Courageous to the Hammerhead Shark. There, he continued to monitor the condition of the RSN casualties until they were transferred to another vessel for conveyance to mainland.

Cpl(NS) Teo’s quick medical attention and assistance in the evacuation of the RSN casualties under trying sea conditions and while the RSS Courageous was in danger of sinking, helped to save precious lives.

Cpl (NS) Sukiman helped render medical aid to injured RSN crew and to evacuate a casualty back to Hammerhead Shark.

During the rescue efforts, Cpl (NS) Sukiman volunteered to board the RSS Courageous to attend to the casualties, without thinking twice of the possible danger to himself should the RSN vessel sink. He assisted Cpl (NS) Teo to examine and reassure an injured crew with suspected head and spinal injuries. After applying first aid, Cpl (NS) Sukiman, with other officers, evacuated the casualty from the lower deck of the RSS Courageous to the Hammerhead Shark. There, he continued to monitor the condition of the RSN casualties until they were transferred to another vessel for conveyance to mainland.

Cpl (NS) Sukiman’s assistance in giving quick medical attention and in the evacuation of the RSN casualties under trying sea conditions and while the RSS Courageous was in danger of sinking, helped to save precious lives.

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