Star of Courage

• Awarded on: November 21, 1988
• Invested on: June 02, 1989

Patrick Terry Cook, S.C.
Ernie William Kruggel, S.C.
Star of Courage

On September 5, Terry Cook and Ernie Kruggel valiantly braved a terrible storm not only once, but three times, in order to rescue nine people during the 1987 Commissioner's Cup Sailboat Race from Yellowknife to Hay River. When the weather began to deteriorate, Messrs. Cook and Kruggel immediately went out in a small, rigid hull Zodiac to assist the sailboat Bondage, pulling her off a sandbar and towing her into Hay River through towering waves which were washing over them. In the meantime, they had received a distress call from the Mega 30 and immediately plunged back into the gale, located the boat and towed her into port through the worsening weather. Intending to dry off, the two drenched men were requested to assist the R&R and headed out again. By now it was dark and raining and to add to their difficulties, the radio was swamped, yet they arrived at the R &R where two people had fallen overboard. In the rough seas, they dragged the two survivors, suffering from hypothermia, on board and, with the icy water spraying over them, managed to keep the two victims, one of whom was hysterical, safe in the bottom of the boat. Without lights or radio contact, they finally arrived back in Hay River where they were met by an ambulance. Both Coast Guard employees, Messrs. Cook and Kruggel acted outside their normal course of duties and for seven hours, in a raging tempest, did not hesitate to go to the rescue of sailors in distress.