Star of Courage
Awarded on: 1988-06-13
Invested on: 1988-08-19
Although it was a warm, sunny afternoon at Ad's Cove near Old Harry, Magdalen Islands, on August 21, 1986, the wind was strong, the waves extremely high and the undertow unusually heavy, the aftermath of a hurricane which had passed through the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Several teenagers were diving under the waves off a point of rock to one side of the beach when Aaron Clark ad his sister arrived at the scene. Aware of the dangerous undertow and the currents sweeping around the point, they warned the group to come back to shore. Within minutes one of the girls, caught by a wave and carried out into the current, began to panic. The other swimmers, experiencing difficulty themselves, were unable to help her. Aaron Clark and his sister immediately formed a human chain with other people at the beach in order to reach the struggling victim. Mr. Clark, not a strong swimmer, insisted on being at the end of the chain furthest from shore. Just as he reached the girl, a huge wave swamped the human chain and broke it. Mr. Clark was rapidly carried out towards the open sea by the current; although his sister swam to him and tried to hold him above the water, he disappeared beneath the waves. All of the other people involved were able to return safely to shore.