Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 18, 1996
• Invested on: June 16, 1997

On March 23, 1996, seven-year-old Kerry Flatt rescued his father from the frozen waters of Manitouwabing Lake near Parry Sound, Ontario. Father and son found themselves in difficulty when their all-terrain vehicle and toboggan fell through the ice, 8 metres from shore. Kerry managed to crawl back onto the surface and, following his father's instructions, ran in search of a piece of wood. He returned with a long stick and tried, unsuccessfully, to pull his dad out of the water. Fearing for his father's life, he searched for another piece of wood but fell through the ice again, losing his boots and suffering cuts and bruises. Kerry managed to climb back out and find another stick. He stretched it out to his exhausted father who had managed to pull himself out of the hole but lay still to keep from breaking the ice. Despite his young age, Kerry was able to pull his father to safer ice.