Medal of Bravery

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

Firefighter Gaston Brunet, M.B.
Lieutenant Pierre Paiement, M.B. (deceased)
Medal of Bravery

On 30 March, 1985, Pierrefond's Fire Services Lt. Pierre Paiement and Firefighter Gaston Brunet volunteered to rescue three fishermen stranded at dusk on Lake St-Louis near Beaconsfield, Quebec. A fourth fisherman had broken through the ice several times and, although exhausted and numb with cold, had managed to reach shore and get assistance. Fully aware of the treacherous condition of the ice and the risks to their lives, Firefighter Gaston Brunet and Lt. Pierre Paiement secured a ladder and boat-hook to test the ice. With the ice cracking all around them, they managed to cover the 1,000 metres which separated them from the victims. Although blinded by car lights from shore, the five men held onto the ladder and, with great difficulty, succeeded in returning to shore.