CITATIONS
STAR OF COURAGE
William Ayotte, S.C.
Churchill, Manitoba
On November 1, 2013, William Ayotte rescued a woman who was being attacked by a polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba. Mr. Ayotte grabbed a shovel and began hitting the bear, distracting it long enough to allow the woman to escape. The animal then jumped on Mr. Ayotte and began to maul him. Neighbours finally shot at the bear, chasing it away from the severely injured victim.
MEDAL OF BRAVERY
Constable Jason Allan Baskin, M.B.
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Constable Mark Frendo, M.B.
Mission, British Columbia
On June 20, 2008, Abbotsford Police constables Jason Baskin and Mark Frendo rescued a suicidal man who had set fire to his house in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Constables Baskin and Frendo broke through the front door and made their way through the thick smoke. They found the man hiding in the bathtub. Fighting to breathe and racing against the flames, the constables grabbed the unconscious man and dragged him outside to safety.
Robert J. Bronson, M.B.
Mississauga, Ontario
Heiko Mueller, M.B.
Schomberg, Ontario
On November 4, 2011, paramedics Robert Bronson and Heiko Mueller assisted a police officer in restraining a violent aggressor in Toronto, Ontario. The officer was trying to conduct an arrest when the agitated suspect reached for the policeman’s loaded weapon. Messrs. Bronson and Mueller held the man until other police officers arrived at the scene.
The decoration awarded to Mr. Mueller was presented at a previous ceremony.
David Burns, M.B.
Selwyn, Ontario
On February 9, 2012, David Burns rescued a man whose vehicle had broken through the ice on Chemong Lake near Lakefield, Ontario. Mr. Burns heard the victim’s screams for help and ran to the scene. He lay down on the thin surface and pulled the man, who by that time had lost consciousness, out of the water and dragged him to safety.
Robert Colmor, M.B.
Montréal and Pohénégamook, Quebec
On February 12, 2014, Robert Colmor rescued a co-worker following an explosion at a factory in Pohénégamook, Quebec. The man was caught on a ladder by his clothing, which was in flames, some 13 metres above the ground. Mr. Colmor managed to reach the man and cut him free from his clothes with a pocket knife. He then carried the victim on his shoulder down the ladder and outside to safety.
Kennedy Brynne Askew Crossland, M.B.
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
On August 11, 2014, Kennedy Crossland rescued a girl and a boy who were struggling in deep, rough waters in Darnley, Prince Edward Island. Ms. Crossland swam out to the girl first; she handed the victim over to a friend who was able to guide the girl to safety. Ms. Crossland then struggled against the strong undertow to reach the boy and brought him to shore.
Shaun Robert Dimit, M.B.
Dryden, Ontario
On January 26, 2013, off-duty volunteer firefighter Shaun Dimit rescued his father-in-law from his burning house in Oxdrift, Ontario. Despite the thick smoke filling the house, Mr. Dimit crawled inside, located the unconscious victim and pulled him to safety only moments before the house became fully engulfed in flames.
Cody Gidney, M.B.
Grand Forks and Sooke, British Columbia
On November 12, 2012, Cody Gidney rescued two men who were in danger of drowning off the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Mr. Gidney grabbed a body board and a life ring and swam out more than 100 metres to reach the victims. He pushed the body board towards the stronger man who then made it back to the beach on his own. After giving the life ring to the second victim, Mr. Gidney fought his way out of the rip current and towed the man to shore.
Constable James Robert Guthrie, M.B.
Paris and Hamilton, Ontario
Constable Clifford J. Leavitt, M.B.
Spirit River, Alberta
Constable Adam D. Palmer, M.B.
Canmore, Alberta
Constable Douglas Wade Philip, M.B.
Red Deer, Alberta
On March 19, 2011, RCMP constables James Guthrie, Clifford Leavitt, Adam Palmer and Douglas Philip risked their lives to apprehend a heavily armed, escaped convict near Sexsmith, Alberta. After setting up a road block, the officers maintained their position during the two-hour standoff. The suspect then closed in on the constables with his car and fired on them with his high-powered weapons. The officers returned fire and subsequently apprehended the criminal when his vehicle became stuck in a muddy ditch.
Keith Jacob Hoffman, M.B.
Bolton, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba
On November 10, 2013, Keith Hoffman rescued a fellow passenger from a burning plane that had crashed in a wooded area near the airport in Red Lake, Ontario. Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames, setting the surrounding bush on fire. Mr. Hoffman was making his way out when he found the woman covered in metal debris. He freed her and brought her a safe distance away as the wreck became fully engulfed in flames. Sadly, none of the other passengers survived.
Jaden Michael Hornett-Shaw, M.B.
LaSalle and Windsor, Ontario
On May 4, 2013, then-13-year-old Jaden Hornett-Shaw rescued a woman who was being stabbed by a man in Windsor, Ontario. Hearing the victim’s cries for help outside his house, Jaden ran to the scene and pulled the attacker off the woman. The assailant got on his bike and rode away while Jaden remained with the victim and tended to her wounds until the police arrived.
Paul Martin Hurst, M.B.
Victoria, British Columbia
Susannah Grayce Utendale, M.B.
Edmonton, Alberta and Victoria, British Columbia
On March 14, 2013, Paul Hurst and Susannah Utendale rescued a girl from a burning house in View Royal, British Columbia. On his arrival, off-duty fire chief Paul Hurst found Ms. Utendale desperately trying to locate her great-granddaughter inside the dwelling. The ceiling started to collapse on them, forcing Mr. Hurst to pull Ms. Utendale outside. He then re-entered the house, located the girl and brought her out to safety.
Constable Mark Jenkins, M.B.
Victoria, British Columbia
On July 17, 2012, Constable Mark Jenkins rescued a suicidal man who had jumped off a bridge into a busy boating channel in Victoria, British Columbia. Dispatched to the scene, Constable Jenkins dove into the murky water and swam out to the distraught man. Although exhausted from his efforts to keep them both above the surface, Constable Jenkins pulled the man towards shore.
Joe Kayakyuak Karetak Sr., M.B.
Arviat, Nunavut
On January 9, 2013, Joe Karetak rescued the pilot of a submerged helicopter near Arviat, Nunavut. Stranded on an ice floe overnight in frigid temperatures, Mr. Karetak and his son were relieved to see the rescue helicopter arrive the next morning. The pilot tried to land the aircraft on the ice, but it sank through. Mr. Karetak inched his way to the edge of the ice, extended a harpoon to the pilot and pulled the man to safety. The three victims were rescued by a second aircraft three hours later.
Tyler Anthony Kelley, M.B.
Toronto and Scarborough, Ontario
On September 3, 2013, Tyler Kelley stopped a pit bull from attacking a woman in Scarborough, Ontario. The woman had picked up one of the dog’s toys when it suddenly attacked her. Mr. Kelley jumped on the aggressive animal and, at risk of being bitten, pried the dog’s jaws open to release its hold on the victim. He managed to confine the dog to a bedroom and then took care of the victim until help arrived.
Constable Ryan Arnold Wayne Lewis, M.B.
Salisbury and Blackville, New Brunswick
On April 21, 2012, RCMP Constable Ryan Lewis prevented a suicidal man from setting himself on fire in Moncton, New Brunswick. Constable Lewis found the victim in his yard, holding a gasoline can in one hand and a lighter in the other. The distraught man poured the flammable liquid on himself as the officer approached him. Constable Lewis subdued the man, removed the lighter from his hand, and restrained him until help arrived.
Clifford Eugene Lloyd, M.B.
Thornton, Ontario
Marc Douglas Lloyd, M.B.
Barrie, Ontario
On August 17, 2013, brothers Cliff and Marc Lloyd rescued nine people from a burning cottage in Baysville, Ontario. With the roof, deck and sides of the cottage in flames, the brothers ran to the upstairs bedrooms to wake up the nine occupants and lead them to safety. They returned inside and searched through the thick smoke for another possible victim, who was wrongly believed to still be inside.
Lionel Stuart Louison, M.B.
Deline, Northwest Territories
On September 2, 2012, Lionel Louison rescued a suicidal man who was in danger of drowning in Great Bear Lake, in Deline, Northwest Territories. Mr. Louison ran into the near-freezing water and swam out to the victim who had drifted several metres away. In total darkness, he struggled in the deep, rough water to pull the man back to the dock where others helped them get out.
Constable James Alan Moir, M.B.
North Vancouver and Langley, British Columbia
On February 3, 2011, RCMP Constable James Moir was severely injured when he saved a young girl from being hit by a truck near Yale, British Columbia. Following a period of freezing rain, Constable Moir was on the scene where several cars had skidded into the ditch. Suddenly, a passing truck also lost control on the slippery road and hurtled towards the girl, who was standing nearby. The constable quickly pushed her out of harm’s way before he was hit by the truck and then pinned between two vehicles. Luckily, bystanders were able to pull the trucks apart to free the injured constable.
Brian Joseph Murphy, M.B.
Pointe-Claire, Quebec and Fort McMurray, Alberta
Jeremy Slaney, M.B.
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Brooks, Alberta
On August 22, 2012, Brian Murphy and Jeremy Slaney helped rescue a young girl who was in danger of drowning, near St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador. The men started swimming out to the girl, but Mr. Slaney, struggling in the strong waves, began experiencing difficulty and swam to nearby rocks. Exhausted by the ordeal, Mr. Murphy reached the girl and instructed her to swim to the rocks, where they were both pulled to safety.
The decoration awarded to Mr. Slaney will be presented to him at a future ceremony.
Paul Jakob Peters, M.B.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Daniel Leroy Privé, M.B.
Île-des-Chênes, Manitoba
Ernest Jason Quick, M.B.
Narol, Manitoba
On October 18, 2012, Paul Peters, Danny Privé and Jason Quick rescued a man from a burning truck in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The driver of a pick-up truck had collided with and become trapped between two other vehicles, which had caught fire. To add to the danger, several jerry cans had toppled over and spilled fuel on the ground. Despite the risk involved, Messrs. Peters, Privé and Quick jumped on the hood of the pick-up, pulled off the damaged windshield and helped the driver escape.
The decoration awarded to Mr. Quick will be presented to him at a future ceremony.
Constable Clifford William John Peterson, M.B.
Fort St. James, British Columbia and Ajax, Ontario
On December 8, 2013, Toronto Police Constable Clifford Peterson prevented a suicidal man from jumping onto a busy roadway in Toronto, Ontario. The man was sitting on an overpass railing with his legs dangling over the edge, some 35 metres above the road. Constable Peterson climbed up onto a concrete pillar and reached down to catch the victim as he began to slide off the railing. With his partner holding him by the legs, Constable Peterson held onto the struggling man and managed to pull him back up onto the bridge.
Constable Fraser Alan Potts, M.B.
Waterloo and Limoges, Ontario
On May 10, 2013, RCMP Constable Fraser Potts rescued a woman who was in danger of drowning in the Fairford River, in Gypsumville, Manitoba. The woman had intentionally driven her vehicle off the embankment and into the river, which was swollen due to the spring run-off. She managed to escape from the car but was swept away by the strong current. Constable Potts swam out to her and, despite having difficulty moving his limbs in the icy water, he managed to pull her closer to shore where they were picked up by a rescue boat.
Adam Andrew Shaw, M.B.
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
On March 31, 2013, Adam Shaw rescued two young girls who had fallen into the icy North Saskatchewan River while tobogganing in Edmonton, Alberta. Mr. Shaw managed to pull one of the sisters out, but fell into the water himself while trying to reach the second girl. Safely back onto the ice, Mr. Shaw got his dog to swim out to the girl, who grabbed onto the leash. Mr. Shaw then coaxed the dog to swim towards him, until he was close enough to pull them both to safety.
Constable Patrick J. Smith, M.B.
Pembroke, Ontario
On July 13, 2013, Constable Patrick Smith, of the Ontario Provincial Police, rescued a man from the powerful rapids of the Ottawa River, near Pembroke, Ontario. The swimmer had been pulled by the current towards the rapids, but managed to cling to some rocks. With a life ring and rope in hand, Constable Smith tried twice to reach the victim. On the second attempt, the rope broke as they were being towed to shore. Firefighters in a rescue boat were then able to retrieve the man, but Constable Smith had to be airlifted out of the rapids by helicopter 90 minutes later.
Daniel Roland Thibeault, M.B.
Hamilton and Edwards, Ontario
On November 8, 2012, Daniel Thibeault rescued his neighbour from a burning house in Edwards, Ontario. Mr. Thibeault kicked open the front door and located the disoriented victim in the living room. Despite the heat, smoke and rapidly spreading flames, Mr. Thibeault managed to get the man safely outside.
Constable Marie-Andrée Tremblay, M.B.
Chicoutimi and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
On January 4, 2013, Constable Marie-Andrée Tremblay entered a burning apartment building to rescue two people, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Constable Tremblay went up to the third floor to wake up a woman and her granddaughter. By this time, the smoke in the stairwell was so thick that she had to guide them to the balcony, where they remained until firefighters helped them down via a ladder.
The Reverend Daniel Marvin Wood, M.B.
Liane Heather Wood, M.B.
Frankford, Ontario
On February 6, 2013, Liane and Daniel Wood rescued a 13-year-old girl from a vehicle submerged in the Trent River, in Frankford, Ontario. Despite the darkness, freezing temperature and strong current, Mr. and Mrs. Wood made their way to the overturned vehicle. Unable to break the car’s windows, they finally succeeded in opening the back hatch and helped the girl get out. They successfully managed to bring her to a retaining wall where others pulled them out of the water.
Micheal James Collicutte, M.B.
Windsor, Ontario
Andrew Zaranek, M.B.
Mississauga, Ontario
On May 24, 2012, Micheal Collicutte and Andrew Zaranek rescued a man from a burning vehicle near Ayr, Ontario. The victim had become incapacitated, which caused him to crash his vehicle into a transport truck, where it caught on fire. Messrs. Collicutte and Zaranek managed to pull the victim out seconds before the vehicle became completely engulfed.
The decoration awarded to Mr. Collicutte was presented at a previous ceremony.
FACT SHEET ON THE DECORATIONS FOR BRAVERY
BACKGROUND
The Decorations for Bravery were created in 1972. They recognize people who risk their lives and choose to defy their own instinct of survival to try to save a loved one or a perfect stranger whose life is in immediate danger.
The three levels of the Decorations for Bravery reflect the degree to which the recipients put themselves at risk:
The Cross of Valour (C.V.) recognizes acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.
The Star of Courage (S.C.) recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril.
The Medal of Bravery (M.B.) recognizes acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.
ELIGIBILITY AND NOMINATION
Anyone is free to propose the name of a person who has risked injury or death in an attempt to rescue another person. The incident need not have taken place in Canada, and the rescuer need not be Canadian, but Canadians or Canadian interests must be involved. The decorations may be awarded posthumously.
Nominations must be made within two years of the incident, or within two years after a public entity, including a court, a quasi-judicial tribunal or a coroner, has concluded its review of the circumstances surrounding the incident or act of bravery.
For more information on the Decorations for Bravery, please visit www.gg.ca/honours.
