Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 1980-01-28
Invested on: 1980-06-13
Gaétan Lavoie, M.B.
Jean-Pierre Lavoie, M.B.
Medal of Bravery
Jean-Pierre Lavoie, aged fifteen, and his younger brother Gaétan saved a woman from drowning in a canal near their home on 1 September 1978. The woman was a passenger in a car driven by another woman, which missed the entrance to a narrow bridge and fell into three metres of water. The boys witnessed the accident and ran to the spot. Jean-Pierre swam out and dived to find the woman who had managed to unfasten her seat-belt and was struggling to escape. Seizing her by the arm he was able to bring her to the surface. He then returned to the second victim but was only able to open the car door before he was exhausted. Gaétan then dived into the water but after several attempts he too was forced to return to shore. By then the police were at the scene and the body of the drowned woman was brought to the surface.