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Mr. Wesley Eugene Belland

Fort St. John, British Columbia

Decorations for Bravery

  • Medal of Bravery

    Awarded on: 2008-04-22
    Invested on: 2012-10-29
    Wesley Eugene Belland, M.B. Allan Dale Bennett, M.B. Aaron Buffett, M.B. Richard K. Colbourne, M.B. Harold Galliford, M.B. Mark Timothy McKay, M.B. Richard K. Randall, M.B. Joseph Eugene Stanley Rucchin, M.B. Ronald R. Savill, (deceased) M.B. Eric Patrick Shaffer, M.B. Medal of Bravery On January 28, 2005, the above-mentioned men attempted to rescue a co-worker who was trapped on a burning drilling rig, near Helmut, British Columbia. While drilling a surface hole, a blow-out explosion occurred, sending large rocks flying through the air and flames shooting up the derrick rig. Once gathered in a safe location, the crew noticed that one man was missing. Braving the danger, the workers located the man, who was still on the burning platform, experiencing difficulty with his harness. Although he was able to free himself, he was unable to go down, as his route was blocked by the fire. Despite the danger, the crew remained with their co-worker to hold a guide wire on which the victim tried to descend. Sadly, the man fell to the ground and sustained fatal injuries.