Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: April 5, 1988
• Invested on: August 19, 1988

Robert Kenneth Myles, M.B.
Serge Perron, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

Late in the afternoon of December 16, 1986, a foreman and his crew of technicians were in the process of insulating a furnace at the Petro-Canada refinery in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec. A sudden explosion blew out the boiler and caused one of its walls to collapse onto pipes carrying flammable, toxic gases. A man working under the furnace support structure was trapped, his forearm pinned between two pieces of metal. Catching sight of the foreman, who was searching for his employees, the victim called to him for help. The foreman had to go outside three times before he was able to find an object with which to pry the rubble from the victim. Meanwhile a fire, fed by gases from the blown-out pipes, was spreading dangerously close to the victim, and the structure supporting the furnace was threatening to collapse at any time. As the foreman was making a third attempt to free the victim, Mr. Robert Kenneth Myles and Mr. Serge Perron arrived to help In a combined effort the three men managed to free the man's arm and carry him outside to safety.