Several residents are being recognized for their acts of bravery as Lieutenant Governor W. Thomas Molloy presented them with several awards today.
Ian Whitehead was awarded the Bronze Medal for Bravery for saving a nine-year-old girl from a dog attack outside his home on the Fishing Lake First Nation.
On June 15, 2018, Whitehead saw the girl trying to pet two dogs when the larger of the two animals bit her arm and dragged her to the ground. The second dog then bit her on the ear and arm as well. Whitehead started to yell and ran toward the dogs.
The dogs would not leave the girl alone so he picked up a rock and threw it at the large dog yelling and screaming until they released the girl and ran off.
Whitehead picked up the injured girl and brought her to a nearby home where he called 911. The girl was badly bitten, and taken to hospital for treatment.
Jacob Boissonneault was awarded an Honorary Testimonial Certificate for quick thinking in helping to save two people in Greig Lake on July 19, 2018.
Jacob, his soccer coach, and the coach’s 8-year-old son, were on a boat diving in and out of the lake when the boy took off his life jacket and dove under water, coming up far from the boat.
As his head came out of the water, a pontoon boat came up behind him sending waves that went over his head. The father immediately swam to his son, but the boy started to panic, grabbing onto his father’s shoulders, and pushing him under.
The father could barely keep his head above the water so he yelled at Jacob to start the boat. Not ever having driven a boat before, Jacob started the engine and drove it to the two struggling swimmers, the father and was able to pull him onto the ladder, enabling him and his son to get on board.
Kyle Anderson is getting the Bronze Medal for Bravery for saving his friend who capsized his kayak on Pat Lake on July 24, 2018.
Anderson and his friend Daren were in separate kayaks in the center of the lake, when the weather turned quickly creating white-capped waves.
There was no one else on the deep lake, and water temperature was around 4 degrees Celsius. Suddenly, Daren’s kayak capsized and although he was wearing a life jacket, it was too small for him.
He panicked, told Anderson he couldn’t swim, and he had lost mobility in his legs and feet due to cold water shock.
Feeling it was too dangerous to enter the Lake, Anderson retrieved the empty kayak and moved it toward Daren.
He managed to push the nose of the kayak under water and Daren was able to grab it when it surfaced underneath him. Anderson then towed both men back to shore safely.
(PHOTO:Jacob Boissonneault receiving his Honorary Testimonial Certificate. Credit Carolyn Spears, Office of the Lieutenant Governor)