Medal of Bravery
- Awarded on: March 18, 1985
- Invested on: September 27, 1985
Ignoring the danger, Gordon Bain rescued a woman from a determined suicide attempt in the Saint Maurice River on the afternoon of 29 October 1982. While driving across the Duplessis bridge Mr. Bain saw more than a hundred onlookers crowded along the guardrail. He stopped and noticed a woman being carried downstream towards the Saint Lawrence River. Realizing that she was not fighting the current and would drown, Mr. Bain hurried down the embankment, removed his winter clothing and swam out to the woman. Once he had got hold of her, he struggled to maintain his grip in spite of the ice-cold water sapping his strength. They finally reached a boom where the rescuer pulled the woman out and calmed her. Almost an hour elapsed before policemen could come to their aid in a boat. By then, Mr. Bain was suffering severely from chills.