Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: April 3, 1997
• Invested on: December 05, 1997

On November 16, 1995, Bryan Figueira saved a man from drowning at the Toronto Harbour Ferry docks of Lake Ontario. The captain had reversed his ferry to avoid crushing a man in the water, and passengers were throwing life jackets and rings but the man could not respond. Seeing the victim disappear for a third time into the twirling, murky waters, Mr. Figueira jumped in after him. He found the man some four meters down, grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him up to the surface and to the side of the embarkation channel. Unable to hold onto the snow-covered tires along the wall, he lost his grip on the unconscious victim who slipped away into the current. As the man sank out of reach, Mr. Figueira dove down again and brought him back up. Too weak and cold to swim with the victim in tow, he worked his way along the row of tires towards the edge of the loading gate where bystanders used a pole to pull them out.