Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 13, 1997
• Invested on: June 16, 1997

Alain Bérubé, M.B.
Rodney Michael Simpson, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On January 20, 1995, Alain Bérubé and Rodney Michael Simpson saved the life of a woman trapped in her home after a natural gas explosion in North Nanaimo, British Columbia. Responding to neighbours' cries that the family was inside the collapsed two storey house, Messrs. Bérubé and Simpson rushed to the burning ruins and began searching through the rubble. While Mr. Simpson convinced a dazed man to jump from the remaining part of the second floor, Mr. Bérubé ran to the back where he tore into the ruins, guided by a woman's screams. He crawled through the twisted pieces of supporting walls until he located her. He freed her from under the tangled piles of shattered dry wall and dragged her to a safer area inside the destroyed structure, then continued searching for victims. Meanwhile, Mr. Simpson made his way through the smoke, heat and spreading fire, calling out for survivors, found the woman and led her to safety. He then continued his search for children believed to be inside. Both rescuers abandoned their efforts only when they learned that all occupants were safe.