Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: February 11, 1998
• Invested on: September 18, 1998

On June 16, 1996, Pierre Ricard fought tenaciously to free a woman caught under an overturned boat in the channel of Saint-Louis Lake in Lachine, Quebec. Mr. Ricard was fishing with his father when he saw a pleasure boat capsize, with sixteen people on board. While the father and son helped the panicking victims, Mr. Ricard learned that two older women could not be found. Without hesitation, he attached a cable around his waist and dove between the two boats, but the sails kept him from getting inside the overturned boat and he had to resurface for air. Refusing to give up, he continued diving until he was able to get through, on his fifth try. Hampered by poor visibility, floating debris and the limited space in the unstable craft, he groped around until he managed to grab hold of an unconscious woman and pull her out of the water. Despite the valiant efforts of Mr. Ricard and the emergency crew which had arrived by then, the victim did not survive. The body of the other victim had been carried away by the current and was recovered later.