Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 2002-09-05
Invested on: 2003-06-13
On Christmas Day, 2001, 17-year-old Ian Duffey saved his grandmother and his 18-year-old sister from a fiery death, then lost his life while trying to rescue his 14-year-old sister from their grandmother's burning townhouse, in Scarborough, Ontario. Awakened by the early morning fire, Ian instructed his older sister to escape through a window to get help, before racing through the choking smoke to the other second-floor bedroom where his grandmother was sleeping. After waking her up, he guided her to a window and pushed her out to safety. In zero visibility, he then made his way to the top floor in a vain attempt to save his younger sister. Despite his best efforts, the siblings perished in the inferno.