Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 1981-03-16
Invested on: 1981-06-19
On 22 January 1980, Jessie Ann Foote, then aged nine, rescued a seven-year-old boy from drowning in Collin's Pond at Burin, Newfoundland. The youngster skated near open water and broke through the thin ice in 1.5 metres of water. Upon noticing the boy's predicament, Jessie immediately called out to him to keep his head above water and to continue moving his hands and feet. Then, ignoring the danger of breaking ice, she stretched out on the frozen surface, and brought the boy closer to the edge using his hockey stick. Once at arm's length, she seized him, hauled him out of the cold water and brought him to the safety of the shore.