At their annual awards ceremony last week, the Maryland Natural Resources Police honored NCBO’s Max Ruehrmund, Taylor Giordano, and NCBO 2023 summer intern Emma Venarde for their actions of June 13, 2023.
On that day Max, Taylor, and Emma were out on the Chesapeake Bay doing buoy maintenance when they heard a distress call. They were the first boat on the scene of a sinking boat with two people aboard. They transferred the people to NCBO’s R/V Potawaugh and stood by until the Maryland Natural Resource Police arrived. This enabled the two people to get to medical attention quickly.
As the recognition certificate notes, “Truly, their actions exemplify the finest traditions of maritime rescue and humanitarian service.”
L-R: Acting Lt. Col. Brian Rathgeb, deputy superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police; Max Ruehrmund; Taylor Giordano; and Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz at the awards ceremony. (Emma Venarde, a student at Brown University, was unable to travel to Maryland for the event.)