Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: December 12, 1997
• Invested on: May 15, 1998

Duncan A. Miske, M.B.
Robert James Weallans, M.B.
Medal of Bravery

On October 27, 1995, Robert Weallans and his supervisor, Duncan Miske, were injured while helping victims of two explosions inside a hazardous chemical treatment plant in Barrie, Ontario. Propelled some 2 meters backwards by the first blast, Mr. Weallans ran through the burning debris to smother the flames that had ignited Mr. Miske's collar when he was struck to the ground by a fire ball. Once his smouldering clothes were ripped off, Mr. Miske ordered Mr. Weallans out of the danger zone. Just as Mr. Miske began searching for casualties, he witnessed a second explosion transform a colleague into a human torch. Unable to grab the screaming man, Mr. Miske alerted Mr. Weallans who rushed back inside, grabbed the burning victim and rolled him on the ground while beating out the flames. Although Mr. Miske succeeded in dousing the fire with an extinguisher, tragically the man later died from his injuries.