On April 25, 1995, Hamish Boyd, then 11 years old, rescued a friend from the freezing waters of the Black River in Matheson, Ontario. While riding his bicycle, Hamish had stopped to talk to two friends when one of them ventured onto the river to retrieve a bicycle helmet that the wind had blown onto the frozen surface. As the boy grabbed the helmet, the ice gave way. Flailing wildly, the screaming child clung to the side of the breaking ice as the current forced off his boots and pulled at his legs. Without hesitation, Hamish Boyd jumped off his bike, raced down the embankment and crawled on the uneven thin surface until he reached his friend. Despite the pulling force of the current and the cracking ice, he managed to grab the boy's hand and pull him to safety.