Lukšić awarded the "Blue Wave of Montenegro" for saving lives at sea

Assistant Director of the Maritime Safety Administration Žarko Lukšić is the recipient of the "Blue Wave of Montenegro" maritime award, which is traditionally awarded by the "Mediterranean Center of Photography" organization.

The project, which has been led for many years by Baranna's Anto Baković and his friends, pays tribute to special feats at sea, draws attention to humanity, and works with the aim of affirming seafaring.

The plaque is awarded to sailors and people connected to the sea, the first recipient of which was Ćiro Marić, the second to Captain Branko Đurović, and the third award was presented to Captain Vahid Sinanović.

The fourth plaque, next to Lukšić's name, states that the decision to be this year's laureate was made because his maritime ability saved many human lives at sea, vessels and was effective in numerous humanitarian actions. For more than 30 years, he has been a participant in all rescue operations of the Maritime Safety and Port Management Administration, as the Head of Search and Rescue at Sea.

After receiving the award, Lukšić recalled that the Service has been significantly improved over the last ten years by purchasing aircraft, equipment and participating in specialized training, using European funds, as well as a very important donation from the Civil Aviation Agency of Montenegro.

"The first steps were related to coordinated cooperation with the 'Port of Bar', the tugboats 'Topolica' and 'Sozina', and my colleague Ćiro Marić from the Port Authority also participated in the actions for over a decade. In recent years, the Maritime Safety Administration, as a new body, has made significant progress, investing in technical means and personnel. We have also used funds from IPA funds, and the donation from the Civil Aviation Agency of Montenegro, through which we acquired vessels, hired new rescuers, and organized specialized training in the region, has had a significant impact on improving our work. The European Maritime Safety Agency is also an important partner for us and provides technical support to Montenegro," said Lukšić.

He emphasized that all of his fellow rescuers and operators of the Maritime Operations Center also deserved today's award, and Lušišće's team provided him with support at the award ceremony today.

"Through joint efforts and professional coordination, we reduced the time it takes for the vessel to leave, from receiving the call to the operator to setting sail, to eight to ten minutes. I would like to point out that the world standard is around 15 minutes. Also, the 'golden hour', as my colleagues know well, is very important. We have been through all kinds of situations - there were some comical ones, but also those with deaths due to drowning, searches that lasted seven to ten days," he said.

Lušić concluded that the shared experience, gained through a large number of seafaring operations, searching for and rescuing people, providing medical assistance, participating in humanitarian actions, and providing assistance to all state bodies responsible for the marine and ecological sectors, has led to the formation of a highly professional SAR team.

He also said that it is necessary to more strongly support and provide a sufficient number of rescuers and operators at the Maritime Operations Center, because "an inevitable generational change is occurring, and there are few people who are ready to take on this very humane and responsible job, along with constant attendance at training courses that are held mainly outside the borders of Montenegro."