Star of Courage

• Awarded on: September 29, 1986
• Invested on: December 05, 1986

Joseph Gordon Elwood Arcand, S.C.
Michael Ralph Craftchick, S.C.
Richard Keith Gould Dickie, S.C.
William Slater, S.C.
Star of Courage

On 13 June 1984, Joseph Gordon Arcand, Ralph Craftchick, Richard Dickie and William Slater risked their lives and withstood severe burns to rescue the victims of a head-on collision between a pick-up truck and a propane tanker near Salmon Arm, British Columbia. On impact, the driver was flung from the propane tanker which rolled down an embankment, sending large columns of black smoke and flames shooting through the air. Messrs. Arcand, Craftchick, Dickie and Slater, unknown to each other, rushed to the pick-up truck straddling the centre of the Trans-Canada Highway inside which a severely-injured couple was trapped. They warned bystanders of the risks of a huge explosion while undertaking the long and arduous process of extricating the couple from the wreckage. Moments after they freed the second victim, thousands of litres of liquid propane exploded, enveloping the entire area in an enormous fireball. The explosion severely burned 23 people.

Frank Glen Naegele was also awarded the Star of Courage for his participation to the rescue efforts.