Star of Courage

• Awarded on: July 15, 1985
• Invested on: December 06, 1985

On July 22, 1984, while boating with his family on Lac Pontbriand, Quebec, Lance-Cpl. (then Pte.) Rochon of Canadian Forces Base Valcartier watched a Cessna 175 crash into the lake, overturn and sink. As the young soldier reached the wreck, the pilot surfaced, floundering. Lance-Cpl. Rochon, already in the water, gave his life-jacket to the pilot and quickly learned that two others remained inside the aircraft. Diving some three metres to the door, he found the visibility inside the plane near zero. Groping around in the cabin, he felt a body, undid the harness and pulled the unconscious man to the surface, passing him to others. He dove at least six more times into the wreck, finally finding the third victim, releasing him and bringing him to the surface. He was not breathing. Lance-Cpl. Rochon tried a variety of resuscitation techniques, including heart massage, succeeding after several minutes in restoring vital functions.