Charles Corder wins award for bravery
EDGEWATER, Md. – The American Boat & Yacht Council Foundation presented the “Bunzl Boating Safety Award” to Charles Corder of Stuart, Fla., during its mid-February meeting in Miami, ABYC reported recently.
Corder was recognized for his courageous and swift action, which ultimately led to the rescue of a fellow-boater in the wake of Hurricane Frances, ABYC said.
Jim Ellis, president of BoatU.S. and chair of the ABYC Board of Directors, and Rear Admiral James W. Underwood, director of Operations Policy for the United States Coast Guard presented the award. In addition to being presented with an engraved crystal plaque, a donation in the amount of $500 was made to the Chapman School of Seamanship in honor of Corder’s heroic act.
Corder freed an older man who became pinned between a dock piling and his boat in the waters of a canal in Stuart, Fla., in the wake of Hurricane Frances. Corder used his pocketknife to cut the line which was tied to the transom and not allowing the boat to move. His action ultimately saved the unconscious man’s life. The rescued victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, was in his eighties.
“This was a stunning act of courage and swift action; an act of extreme bravery, and a calm, cool reaction in the face of danger,” said Skip Burdon, president of ABYC and secretary of the ABYC Foundation. “It is the ABYC Foundation’s distinct privilege to present Mr. Corder with this award, and to also make a donation in his honor to the Chapman School of Seamanship, an organization that he worked for as a director for many years.”
Corder is the 15th recipient of the “Bunzl Boating Safety Award,” which is presented by the ABYC Foundation in recognition of singular acts of great personal sacrifice or heroism in the saving of life or vessel at sea, or for extraordinary contributions to the safety of the boating public.
The award is named for Richard C. Bunzl in recognition of his contributions to the ABYC Foundation in support of boating safety.
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