Arne Rinnan

Who is Arne Rinnan?

Arne Frode Rinnan was the captain of the MV Tampa, owned by Norwegian shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen which was involved in the so-called Tampa affair. On 21 August 2001, his ship rescued 438 refugees, mainly from then Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, from a drifting boat about 75 nautical miles north of Christmas Island.

His parents, Louise Mari "Lillemor" Devold and Frode Rinnan, moving from Ålesund in 1939.

The Nansen Refugee Award for 2002 was awarded to the crew of the Tampa by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 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 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.