Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: June 15, 1987
• Invested on: September 25, 1987

On the afternoon of July 13, 1986, a 72-year-old man slipped into the Napanee River in Napanee, Ontario, while fishing. Claire Woodall, a resident of the nearby Lorne Smart Villa for seniors, heard a cry, looked out the window and saw the man struggling in the river. She informed her 66-year-old husband, Bill, who immediately ran out of the villa to the water, on his way calling to a friend to follow. Mr. Woodall dove, fully clothed, into the river and swam out to the victim. Mr. Woodall dragged him to shore, but had to wait for his friend to help pull him out of the water. The man was having difficulty breathing and his pulse was irregular. When the ambulance arrived, he was given oxygen and taken to the hospital.