Arne Frode Rinnan was the captain of the MV Tampa

MV Tampa

MV Tampa is a roll-on/roll-off container ship completed in 1984 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. in South Korea for the Norway based firm, Wilhelmsen Lines Shipowning.-Tampa affair:...

, owned by Norwegian

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen which was involved in the so-called Tampa affair

Tampa affair

In August 2001, the Howard Government of Australia refused permission for the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa, carrying 438 rescued Afghans from a distressed fishing vessel in international waters, to enter Australian waters...

. On 21 August 2001, his ship rescued 438 refugee

Refugee

A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...

s, mainly from then Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

, from a drifting boat about 75 nautical miles (139 km) north of Christmas Island

Christmas Island

The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....

.

His parents, Louise Mari "Lillemor" Devold and Frode Rinnan, moving from Ålesund

Ålesund

is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....

 in 1939.

The Nansen Refugee Award

Nansen Refugee Award

The Nansen Refugee Award formerly known as the Nansen Medal is given annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to individuals or groups in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees. It is one of the most prestigious awards in the United Nations system...

 for 2002 was awarded to the crew of the Tampa by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...

 (UNHCR) for their efforts to follow international principles of saving people in distress at sea.

Rinnan has received other awards, including the Medal of Honour from the King of Norway, the inaugural Tampa Award from the Australian organisation Rural Australians for Refugees, the AFRAS Gold Medal from the Association for Rescue at Sea and he was named Captain of the Year 2001 by the Nautical Institute

Nautical Institute

The Nautical Institute is an international professional organization for maritime professionals, based in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1971 and has the status of a company limited by guarantee and is registered with the Charity Commission. It has over 7,000 members in over 110...

 and shipping journal Lloyds List.

Arne Rinnan retired from his position as captain in late 2001. He lives with his family in the city of Kongsberg

Kongsberg

is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....

.

Quotes

Saving lives at sea must always rank ahead of politics

"A delegation of five men came up to the bridge. They behaved aggressively and told us to go to Australia. They said they had nothing to lose." http://google.com/search?q=cache:aATw3rUWpqgJ:observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,545649,00.html+tampa+hijacked+rinnan&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7