Twenty-two Saskatchewan residents who put their lives at risk to help strangers in the past year were recognized on Friday afternoon during a special ceremony at Government House in Regina.
Three of the acts of heroism took place in the province’s north.
Larry Custer of Pelican Narrows was awarded the bronze medal for bravery for running into a burning house to save a mother and her daughter on Jan. 18.
He kicked open the door of the house where he found a woman attempting to wrap a severely burned child in a blanket.
Custer got the woman and child out of the house, searched other rooms but could not see through the heavy smoke.
Four people escaped the blaze but unfortunately two children sleeping in the attic died in the fire.
Custer suffered smoke inhalation.
On June 17, Constable Mike Keeling was conducting a traffic stop in Deschambault Lake when he noticed smoke down the street.
He drove to a burning house and ran inside where flames were moving from the back of the house to the hallway.
Keeling found a woman unconscious on the couch and managed to get her out of the home safely.
His actions have been recognized with a bronze medal of bravery.
Lastly, a paramedic in Pelican Narrows put his life at risk tackling a man armed with a knife who was threatening to slash the throat of a woman.
The incident happened April 18, when RCMP and EMS were dispatched to a report of a stabbing.
Geordie Nicholson saw a man straddling a woman and holding a knife to her throat.
Nicholson yelled at the man, then ran towards him and wrestled him off the woman.
RCMP also gave assistance placing the suspect under arrest.
After the arrest, Nicholson carried on with his duties helping others that were wounded in the attack.
Nicholson has also been given a bronze medal of bravery.
The Royal Canadian Humane Association Bravery Awards were handed out by Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Schofield.