The captain and four crew members of the Rachel Marie Elliott Bay Water Taxi were recognized today for their heroism by Joe McDermott, West Seattle resident, King County Councilmember, and King County Ferry District Board Chair, and Larry Phillips, King County Councilmember and Ferry District Board Chair. McDermott and Phillips read a citation celebrating the captain and crew for saving a diver's life May 10 not far off of Seacrest Park.

They are Captain Neal Amaral, Frank Massaro, Aaron Barnett, and Vik Misic.

You can read our story about that rescue here:

McDermott spoke. "We are here to honor crew members of Rachel Marie (...) Whether they believe they are heroes or not I think they took action immediately, and quickly and because of that the diver is recovering today."

Also on hand was Scott Davis, Division Director, Marine Division,King County Department of Transportation.

"I'm here to recognize the great job the crew did back in May when they rescued a diver who otherwise wouldn't be with us here today," Davis told the West Seattle Herald. He served with the Coast Guard 24 years, and the Washington State Ferry almost nine years. "They did a really great job of doing what they were trained to do, and putting it into practice in a real life situation. It was very rewarding for them and I am happy for them that they are going to be recognized. The maritime Industry has been unique in the regard that they take being a good Samaritan to that next level. When somebody is in distress you come to rescue if you can."

The crew appeared humble.

The Captain recalls

"I had the unique vantage point of watching everyone work in concert with each other," said Captain Amaral, a Burien resident formerly with the Coast Guard. "Frank (Massaro) and I both spotted the diver initially and took bets on whether or not he was a sea lion or diver in distress. I brought the boat up and it was obvious he was in distress, waving his arms. Everything happened kind of quickly. Aaron (Barnett) was the one who jumped in the water twice. Once with his (protective) suit on, the second time in a sea shirt. We had first tried to hoist the diver up with a sling and failed. You can really make the case that Aaron put his own life in danger by doing that. It's 40 to 45-degree water."

"I threw a life ring to him and also to mark his location," said Massaro of the diver. "I prepared 'man overboard' equipment. I have heard he is recovering but had not realized how serious his condition was. It's possibly the best feeling you can get from your work, that you help save a life, helped out in a serious situation."

This is Frank Massaro's second rescue:

This is not the first rescue on Massaro's watch. The Coast Guard gave a commendation award to Massaro for rescuing a depressed man from under the pier just north of Pier 50's Water Taxis last July. The man had attempted suicide.

The Herald asked him to share his recollection. "It was a Saturday afternoon, the peak of tourist season," said Massaro. "I think we'd come back to the dock and the shoreside agent alerted us to a guy perched out over the edge of the water. He jumped in and we grabbed a life ring and threw it to him. He drifted underneath the dock. At the point we lost visual contact with him I was already wearing a life preserver, a PFD, (personal flotation device) and I jumped in after him.

"I grabbed hold of him and pulled him out from under the dock. We floated around a couple minutes together and talked. The fire department showed up with a boat and took custody of him. He was pretty distraught. He didn't think he had a lot going for him. I guess being an empathetic human being you certainly feel bad for someone who feels like their life isn't going the way they like. I did the best I could to encourage and reassure him that wasn't the case. I certainly hope he got the help he needed. Even in the summer he was at risk of hypothermia, and after 20 or 25 minutes it could have ended poorly."