Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 2, 1984
• Invested on: July 09, 1984

Terence Jasper McBurney, M.B.
Joel Douglas Teal, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

Late on the evening of 3 November 1982, in spite of danger to themselves, Terence McBurney and Joel Teal went to the rescue of three boys. The boys had been playing on the newly-formed ice of Lakeview Lake when they fell through, approximately eight metres from shore. Their cries reached Mr. McBurney who ran to a nearby house for help, returning with Mr. Teal. With a rope around his waist, Mr. McBurney crawled over the thin ice until it gave way, then swam the remaining distance. He seized one boy and, while holding him, was pulled by Mr. Teal and another man onto solid ice. Meanwhile, the other boys, still floundering in the icy water, had almost disappeared below the surface. Mr. Teal quickly appraised the situation and, undaunted by a chronic respiratory problem, jumped in. He struggled for a distance of five metres but, exhausted by his efforts, had to be helped out of the water. Realizing that the two boys were in serious danger of drowning, Mr. McBurney re-entered the water and, though numb with cold, again made his way to them. Together, they were assisted ashore by others.