Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: August 28, 1997
• Invested on: May 15, 1998

On August 12, 1995, Anita Barry rescued a woman trapped in an overturned kayak in Kananaskis, Alberta. Mrs. Barry and a male colleague had paddled a difficult bend in the Kananaskis River, when they noticed a friend's kayak tipped over in tree stumps close to the opposite shore. Unable to paddle back to the submerged woman, Mrs. Barry and the man raced up the bank. Upstream from the victim, they attempted to swim across but the rushing waters carried them too far. The man got trapped in deadwood but Mrs. Barry managed to get out of the river. She ran to the victim and dislodged the kayak but could not flip it over. As the freed kayak and the women were swept down river, Mrs. Barry repeatedly struck the kayak with her foot until she felt her friend's body pull free. Dodging floating trees, she struggled towards shallower waters with the victim in tow. Once on shore, she provided first aid until help arrived.