When a vessel suffers a maritime accident that puts the vessel or its passengers in peril and another vessel and its crew saves the passengers and/or the vessel that is in trouble, the individuals helping to salvage the damaged vessel can be entitled to a salvage award.  Typically, this comes into play when a salvor (the person helping the vessel in danger) successfully helps a vessel that is suffering a marine accident, such as sinking, or is damaged in some other manner.  This salvor can then go to Federal District Court, arrest the vessel, or what is left of it, and ask the Court for a salvage award, which can be a very large award if the salvor was successful and the salvor risked their own physical injury and property damages to save the damaged vessel and its crew.  The salvage award is either paid by the vessel owner or their insurance company.